Five Years Later
by Dumber then a Moogle ass
Summary: AeriSeph - Cloud and Aeris finally found happiness, but will their love be strong enough to survive a trip to Garden?
1. Ch1: Well duh

Author: Hi, just a few author's notes before we start. PLEASE REVIEW THIS STORY!!! IF YOU DON'T THEN A HORRIBLY ANNOYING PERSON (one that you know) WILL STALK YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVING DAYS!!!!!  
  
#1: ~Disclaimer~ I own none of the Final Fantasy characters even though I wouldn't mind having Sephiroth :) *drool*  
  
#2: Aeris was stabbed by Sephiroth on the alter, but she lived through it and has a scar to prove it.  
  
Sephiroth: I find it very unfair that I don't even get to be in this chapter!  
  
Author: Oh shut-up, no one asked you. Anyway, enjoy the 1st chapter and if peoples like it then I'll add more soon.  
  
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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Five Years Later:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
Cloud rolled over in bed and stretched his arms, yawning. Leaning on his side he smiled at Aeris' sleeping form and gently stroked her hair. How long has it been? At least five years now. He carefully got out of bed so he wouldn't wake her and showered and dressed. Sighing, he inspected himself in the mirror.  
  
"Man, I gotta get a new outfit." He straightened his belt and grabbed his sword from the case. He lovingly kissed Aeris goodbye and she stirred from sleep.  
  
"Cloud?" she mumbled sleepily, "you're going already?" Cloud sat down on the edge of the bed.  
  
"I have to. I'm going to see Squall today about the job. Rinoa's really been bugging him to get a second in command, so to speak and he asked me to come help him out."  
  
Aeris laid her hand on his arm. "I don't want you two in the same district, let alone working together. You're both bad influences on each other."  
  
Cloud grinned. "I'll be on my best behavior." Aeris sighed and shook her head slightly.  
  
"Well if there's anything on the news to do with explosions, disasters or any other thing you two have done you'll pay, you understand me?"  
  
He leaned down and kissed her deeply. "Yes, oh love of my life." She hit him gently.  
  
"Don't be cheeky." He smiled, "what would I do without you?" Aeris sat up and hugged him. "Honestly, sweety, I don't want to know."  
  
Cloud looked at his watch. "If only you'd woken up sooner because I've gotta go now. I'll make it up to you when I get back." He grabbed a jacket and headed out the door.  
  
"Yah, you wish!" she called after him.  
  
* * *  
  
Cloud walked into Belamb Garden and spotted Irvine and Selphie near the entrance, flirting as usual. He headed over to them, "don't you two have work to do?" Selphie flipped her hair over her shoulder and glared at him.  
  
"Well excuse me Mr. High and Mighty look-at-my-big-sword. Mind your own business." Cloud shrugged.  
  
"Easy there. Calm down, but I still think that gun boy here is out of your league." Irvine smirked and clapped Cloud on the shoulder.  
  
"I think Squall's waiting for you, you better get a move on." The look Irvine gave him made Cloud smile.  
  
"Okay then, see you guys later."  
  
Making his way over to the elevator, he groaned at the "out of service" sign. "Stairs it is," he sighed to himself. Staggering onto the second story, someone knocked him onto the ground.  
  
"Cloud! I'm so sorry!" A familiar beautiful face peered down into his. Rinoa helped him to his feet. Cloud brushed himself off.  
  
"S'okay. I'll live."  
  
Rinoa smiled and hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad you're here! Maybe you can talk some sense into that husband of mine."  
  
"Not likely," he grinned. The two of them took the lift to Squall's quarters. Rinoa knocked and opened the door, gesturing for Cloud to follow.  
  
"Honey, Cloud's here! I'll leave you two alone to talk okay? I'll be in the Library with some new recruits if you need me." She turned to Cloud. "It was nice seeing you again and next time don't wait three years for an invitation to visit us."  
  
"Will do," Cloud nodded. Rinoa went out the door and Squall sighed with relief.  
  
"Thank god you're here," he said, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. Cloud sat down on a chair in front of Squall's desk.  
  
"She's really getting on your case huh?" he smiled sympathetically. Squall ran both hands through his hair.  
  
"You have no idea." Squall leaned forward again and clasped his hands. "It's best before we start, that I discuss something with you."  
  
Cloud raised his eyebrows at the expression on Squall's face. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Well..." Squall stood and walked over to his office window, facing away from Cloud. "We've picked up a passenger that we found in the Northern areas. He was critically injured, but we've managed to revive him and he's doing pretty well now."  
  
Cloud stood as well. "What?!"  
  
Squall fidgeted with his ring, "um, yes...and he claims to know you. I kind of got the impression that you might not want to see him, but he seems genuinely sorry for any trouble he's caused. He's been helping out with the SeeD training and he's an awesome cook as well, you should taste the hotdogs he makes! I want you to come and meet him."  
  
Cloud gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly. "You're letting him stay here?! With the students' lives at risk?! Are you insane?! You might as well just kill them all yourself!"  
  
Squall grabbed his friend's arm. "Will you please calm down?" Cloud glared, but sat down quietly. Squall kneeled down beside him. "Listen to me for just a minute. We've known each other for what, sixteen years now? You need to trust me about this."  
  
Cloud crossed his arms and thought for a moment. "Fine. I'll trust you. But if he so much as looks at a student the wrong way he's toast."  
  
Squall smiled. "Agreed. And don't worry. We're keeping tight surveillance on him at all times. We may be hospitable, but stupid we're not. Now come on. I want you to at least give him a chance."  
  
***  
  
Cloud nodded wordlessly and followed Squall to the now repaired elevator. The two entered the elevator and Squall pushed the button for the first floor, while Cloud stood tensely in a corner. Could it really be who he thought it was?  
  
A "ding" sounded and the doors slid open. Squall smiled reassuringly at Cloud. "Let's go." Cloud followed him to the training center nervously. As they entered the door the sound of weapons clashing rang out in the air. Cloud shoved pass Squall and ran towards the sounds.  
  
The sight of a masemune flying towards a student's head made his blood boil. He threw himself in front of the attack and blocked it with his blade, the clang ringing out loudly.  
  
"Get back!" Cloud yelled to the student and recovered quickly, swinging the sword back to strike Sephiroth...  
  
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Author: Thanx so much for reading my story!! Or at least the beginning of it! Sorry for leaving you guys in suspense. I already have the next few chapters ready to post!! Just for you!! :D If you didn't like it then a thousand moogles will die a horrible, painful death (what a bad person you are!), but if you did like it then you're A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!!!!!!!! So please, please review and then I'll give you guys the second chapter! Fun fun fun.  
  
Sephiroth: Please, please, please put me in the next chapter!!! I need the exposure or FF won't renew my contract! *sniffles pathetically*  
  
Author: Oh for god sakes, SHUTUP you whiny pansy!  
  
Sephiroth: *pouts* Fine, but you better put me in.  
  
Author: *sighs* Okay, okay. Quit yer whining already! Anyway, thanx you guys. I love all my adoring fans (and my non-adoring ones) and it would be great if you REVIEWED the instant you read this. PLEASE. Or I can't add my next chapter. :(  
  
Thank you thank you thank you. Bye for now. 


	2. Ch2: The fun continues :P

Author: Yayayayayayness!!!!!!!!!!!! Peoples reviewed (and I'm sure you all loved it thank you very much) so now I can give you....*dramatic background music and drumroll* the second chapter!!!!!!! : )  
  
~Disclaimer~ Again none of these characters are mind (Ilovesephiroth)  
  
Sephiroth: *jumps up and down happily* And I'm in it right? Right?!  
  
Author: Yes, yes, shut your pie hole. You're in this damn chapter okay?  
  
Sephiroth: *prances around* yippee!!!!!!! *picks flowers and puts them in his hair*  
  
Author: *shakes her head* Anyway, just to clear things up, no Sephiroth is not gay in my version and I love to write so if there's "fru-fru" language with mushy stuff forgive me, I'm a hopeless romantic, but I'll keep most of it "humor" since that's the category it's in.  
  
Sephiroth: *spins around I circles until he falls down*  
  
Author: On with the fic  
  
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Previous chapter: The sight of a masemune flying towards a student's head made his blood boil. He threw himself in front of the attack and blocked it with his blade, the clang ringing out loudly.  
  
"Get back!" Cloud yelled to the student and recovered quickly, swinging the sword back to strike Sephiroth.  
  
Squall stepped in front of him and gently pulled on his arm. "Cloud, calm down. They're just training." Cloud's chest was heaving and his breath came out in short pants. He angrily allowed his weapon to drop to the ground and smirked, satisfied at the surprised and terrified look on Sephiroth's face.  
  
Sephiroth lowered his sword and stepped back, glancing at Squall. Cloud slung his sword onto his back and faced Sephiroth.  
  
Squall walked over to Sephiroth and patted his shoulder, "it's all right. He's just a little tense." Cloud turned to Squall.  
  
"Don't apologize for me. If I bloody well think he deserves it then I'll apologize myself." Sephiroth looked at the ground with an ashamed look on his face. He spoke quietly to Cloud.  
  
"I know how angry you must be right now and I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for all the things I've done. I've been doing all that I can around here and it would mean so much to me if you'd forgive me and I could try to start earning back your trust. We were friends at one point. Couldn't we start over?"  
  
Squall quickly took the group of students out of the training center and came back to stand by Sephiroth. Cloud had so many thoughts racing through his mind that his head hurt. He looked skeptically at Sephiroth. The guy had seemed pretty genuine. But could he really trust his old archenemy?  
  
Squall watched Cloud carefully. "If it makes you feel any better, buddy, I'll vouch for him. He's been through a lot he regrets." Cloud nodded thoughtfully and noticed for the first time one of Sephiroth's arms was injured and bound to his chest and he had a slight limp when he took a step closer to Cloud. He sighed, confused. He'd agree. For now. And keep a very close eye on Sephiroth.  
  
"All right," he nodded again, confirming his decision, "I'll tolerate you for now, but I need time before any trust can start." A small smile broke out on Sephiroth's face and he let out a sigh of relief.  
  
Squall looked at Sephiroth with concern. "You should take a rest now. You weren't even supposed to be out of bed today."  
  
Sephiroth groaned, "but I hate reading stuff to the kids. They need hands on experience or they'll never learn anything. And my arm isn't hurting that much. My leg barely has a limp now."  
  
"Come on." Squall smiled, "Dr. Kadowaki's orders. She'll kick my butt if we're caught here."  
  
Cloud watched the two talking like old friends and felt a little jealous. Maybe he should visit Squall more often. Sephiroth started to leave and winced when he took another step. Squall caught the fleeting look of pain and stopped him. "Here, lean on me. You don't always have to act so strong."  
  
Sephiroth accepted the help gratefully and his platinum hair spilled over his shoulders as he leaned on Squall. "Catch you later Cloud," Squall called over his unused shoulder, "meet me in my office in an hour." Cloud watched them go and felt the urge to kill something.  
  
Forty-five minutes later, after many, many, many pulverized monsters had been destroyed by Cloud, he felt much better and decided to go get something to eat before he had to go and meet Squall. Plus he needed to check in with Aeris soon. She was probably worried about him. Heading for the cafeteria, he waited in the long line up for hotdogs. He watched the eager young kids training to be SeeDs with interest. A lot of them were studying at the tables, but a few were comparing weapons.  
  
"Can I help you sir?" He turned back towards the cashier realizing he was now at the front of the line.  
  
"I'm sorry," apologized sheepishly.  
  
The girl at the till just stared at him impatiently, "well? What can I get you?" Cloud glanced up at the menu.  
  
"Hmmmm. Oh..how about....two hotdogs please. And a sprite." The girl sighed.  
  
"Sorry, sir. We're out of hotdogs."  
  
"Out of hotdogs?! But you just sold one to the guy in front of me! I saw him take it to his table!"  
  
"I'm sorry, but we don't have any and if you aren't going to order anything then there are lots of people who will. Please step aside so I can help the next person in line."  
  
Cloud angrily stepped to the side and started to walk away, but stopped when he saw the person who had been behind him order and receive a hotdog. Hating the entire day so far, he stormed over to the elevator, hungry, annoyed, and just plain pissed off. He jabbed the button for Squall's floor and slumped against the inside of the elevator wall. As the door "dinged" open on the third floor Aeris stepped into the elevator. Cloud's frown faded into disbelief.  
  
"Aeris?! What are you doing here?!" She smiled mischievously.  
  
"I came to get "trapped" in an elevator with you."  
  
Cloud smiled, "no, seriously." Aeris shrugged.  
  
"Well, I figured that since you were here, I might as well come and visit Rinoa for awhile. Then I can keep an eye on you and Squall at the same time." Cloud stepped closer to Aeris and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him. He kissed her softly and felt his annoyance melting away. When they broke apart, Cloud gazed at Aeris happily.  
  
"I have to go meet with Squall now, but I promise to come and find you later," Cloud told her grinning.  
  
"I'll be looking forward to it. Don't take too long." Cloud realized that the elevator had gone back to the first floor, but he didn't mind considering whom he was with at the moment. Squall would just have to wait a couple more minutes.  
  
He pulled her closer again and she teasingly pushed him away. "You better go talk to Squall now. I'll be waiting for you somewhere down here. I'm not sure where yet. Most likely the library or the training center."  
  
Cloud grinned and shook his head, pulling her to him, "sorry to disappoint, but you can't escape that easily." Aeris pried him off her regretfully and stepped out of the elevator.  
  
"I'll see you later, Sweety." Cloud watched her go.  
  
"Damn Squall," he muttered.  
  
The elevator doors shut again and Cloud pressed the button for Squall's floor again. "I should've phoned her earlier," he thought to himself, "then maybe she'd still be safe at home." Finally reaching Squall's floor, Cloud stepped out of the elevator and knocked on the door to the right.  
  
"Just a second!" a voice called from inside. Cloud tapped his foot impatiently until he heard the door lock click and it swung open showing a very frazzled looking Squall on the other side.  
  
"You caught me at a bad time..," he smiled sheepishly, "I figured you weren't coming at all after your "nervous breakdown". Plus you're ten minutes late." Cloud raised an eyebrow as he watched Squall quickly tuck in his shirt and zip up his black pants. Cloud leaned a little to the side and saw an almost dressed Rinoa in the background.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt," Cloud smirked, "but I guess it just proves that when you assume you make an ass out of you and me." Squall shook his head.  
  
"You seem like you're still pissed off."  
  
"Maybe I am," Cloud snapped. Squall frowned, but didn't comment.  
  
"Honey, are you leaving with Cloud already?" an annoyed sounding voice came from inside the bedroom.  
  
"Yah, I've gotta. I'm so sorry! I really am!" He gave Cloud a "help me" look and quickly ducked back into the room. Could felt slightly amused at Squall's situation and listened closer. Rinoa was letting him have it about the embarrassment he had caused her and she shoved Squall back out into the hallway. Squall tried to go after her, but the door slammed and locked in his face.  
  
"Aww, come on Rinoa," he pleaded.  
  
"Have fun sleeping in the dorms tonight!" she yelled through the door. Even Cloud couldn't be that heartless, not to feel sorry for Squall.  
  
"Come on," Cloud said softly to Squall, "I'll grab us some drinks and we can catch up on old times." Squall nodded.  
  
"Yah. Sure." He shook his head and seemed to cheer up a little, "and I still have to talk to you about the job too." Cloud smiled at his friend and they took the elevator downstairs and sat at a table in the cafeteria.  
  
Cloud went and grabbed them two beers from the girl at the till, making sure to glare evilly at her before returning to the table. "No hotdogs today, my ass!" he muttered under his breath. Squall looked really upset over such a small argument. Cloud had seen much worse between those two in their high school days. Squall had a deep frown creased across his face. Cloud sat down and touched his arm. Squall's head jerked up and he gratefully accepted the beer that Cloud offered him. "Drink up buddy," Cloud smiled, "beer solves all life's problems."  
  
(This is not really true and I deny any and all accusations that I am encouraging people to drink beer. Mmmmmm..beer. *drool* *ahem* Carry on.)  
  
Squall made a pathetic attempt to smile and Cloud changed the subject. "Um, hey. So how's running a school? Do the kids call you Mr. LeonHeart?" Cloud teased Squall trying to get his mind off whatever was bothering him.  
  
Squall nodded, taking Cloud seriously, "some of them do, but I told them to call me Squall. A couple of my students said that they saw Seifer a few days ago, but I doubt it. We've had a lot of false alarms lately. People are really jittery about him coming back. To make matters worse, we're running out of funds for the garden. No one needs a mercenary anymore so our newly trained SeeDs don't really have any way to earn money for themselves or the school. If we don't get funding soon I may have to shut down the garden." Squall blinked his eyes quickly to clear the tears.  
  
Cloud put his hand comfortingly on Squall's shoulder. "It will be all right. You guys always pull through in the end. And I'm here now. I'll be willing to do anything to get the garden back on its feet. Maybe I can talk to Avalanche about scraping up some Gil for you."  
  
Squall smiled gratefully, "I knew talking to you was a good idea. You always were the smart one in school that could stay calm and solve the problem." Cloud grinned.  
  
"That's me." Squall looked thoughtful for a moment.  
  
"Well, if you're really interested in helping me then do you think there's any way you could convince Aeris to let you stay at the garden for a few weeks?"  
  
Cloud laughed, "yah right! She barely let me come for just today."  
  
"Well, what if you invited her to stay too? Would she go for it?" Squall asked eagerly.  
  
Cloud's eyes lit up. "You know what? She might actually go for that!" Squall grinned triumphantly and leaned in a little closer to Cloud.  
  
"Speaking of Aeris, there's something I've been meaning to ask you..."  
  
Aeris smiled warmly at the students working in the library and thought about how nice it felt to not have to worry about anything. To just be able to relax and do whatever she pleased. "I wonder where Rinoa is?" she thought to herself. She shrugged and wandered down the isle of books. What could be taking Cloud so long? A twinge of annoyance struck her and she left the library, wandering down the hallway past the training center and the dormitories. She smiled when she saw a huge group of students excitedly crowded in the infirmary. They must all be visiting a friend. "Kids are so cute. That reminds me...I'll have to talk to Cloud later," she said out loud, to no one in particular.  
  
Going closer, Aeris went into the infirmary curiously. Who had gotten so many visitors? She stepped forward a little more and peered through the crowd. She breathed in sharply, her heart jumping in surprise at the sight of the person in the bed. She felt all the colour drain from her face as the vibrant blue eyes met hers. Sephiroth stopped in the middle of the sentence he was reading to students and his mouth dropped open.  
  
A small gasp escaped her lips and she stepped back. If at any time she had ever needed Cloud it was now. Sephiroth just stared in shock and the book dropped out of his hand. "Aeris," he managed to choke out, "but I thought I.....you were.." She didn't want to hear another word. Running from the room, a bunch of confused students moved and watched her go. Sephiroth pushed himself out of bed as fast as the pain would allow and started after her.  
  
Squall's eyes went wide. "She did?! Aww man," he said enviously, "I can't believe she does that. Rinoa never would you know."  
  
Cloud grinned proudly, "you should just talk to her man." Squall took a sip of his beer and almost choked when an ear shattering scream came from the hallway...  
  
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Author: PLEASE REVIEW!! Mwahahahahaha! I have to power to keep you hanging!!!  
  
Stairs: No one loves me. :( They all use the freakin' elevator. No wonder the stupid thing broke.  
  
Sephiroth: *prances about* I'm in it! I'm in it! I'm in it! *grabs Aeris and dances around with her* *Aeris slaps him and walks away* *sighs and feels rejected*  
  
Cloud: I love you Sephiroth!  
  
Sephiroth: *shudders, now seriously disturbed* I'M NOT GAY!!!  
  
Cloud: *pouts and leaves*  
  
Author: Anyway..thank you, to all who took the time to read the chapter and my author's notes. (these are just for you peoples) And please, please, please review my story again. I'd be so grateful!  
  
Sephiroth: *huggles readers* Thank you! My career is saved!!! :D  
  
Author: *shakes her head* So yah, I hope you all enjoyed this, well, "interesting" chapter and I'll make sure to update, the second I get five reviews! :) TTFN! Taa-taa for now 


	3. Ch3: The beginning of fluff! Mwahahaha!

~Disclaimer~ I do "not" own any of the Final Fantasy characters, costumes, locations, sexy lingerie.......oops, I mean, um, yah. I don't own any of it. Except maybe in my mind. Hee hee. Sexy underwear stuff. *ahem* (ILOVESEPHIROTH) *please note that the Author puts "bracketed" notes for her own pleasure. You are entitled to you own opinion on them as long as you agree with her*  
  
Author: Hi all! I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in so long. :( I've been really busy doing a whole bunch of other stuff (especially school) so forgive me. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and helped me along my path to writingness. I'll make this a longer chapter just for you guys. Please R&R.  
  
Sephiroth: *smiles and hugs author* No one could stay mad at you.  
  
Author: Yah........sure they couldn't......  
  
Chelsey: *runs up screaming bloody murder and tries to strangle Natalee* You made me wait for two months to read the next part! TWO MONTHS!!!!!!!  
  
Author: *pries her off* I'm very very very sorry!  
  
Sephiroth: *looks at Chelsey with interest and she smacks him, then leaves* *hangs his head* No one loves me.  
  
Author: *grins* Oh I wouldn't say that.....  
  
Sephiroth: *doesn't get it* *shrugs and dances off to picks more flowers*  
  
Author: *sighs* I'll get on with the fic now. Just so you know, there may be more fluff in this chapter then there was in the others. Also, for those of you who are waiting for the Aeris and Sephiroth fluff, it's coming so be patient. It takes time to fall in love you know. ;)  
  
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"What the hell is that?!" he sputtered.  
  
Cloud and Squall both ran out to the hallway and Cloud narrowed his eyes at Sephiroth, who was holding Aeris' arm and desperately trying to calm her down. Aeris struggled and fought against Sephiroth and when he saw Cloud coming for him he released her. She ran into Cloud's arms and he held her tightly, trying to make her stop shaking. Cloud stroked her hair and whispered soothingly in her ear. Aeris simply clung to him. Raising her head, she looked at Cloud with terrified eyes. "Please. Don't let him hurt me."  
  
Sephiroth just stood still, clearly in shock from seeing Aeris alive. Squall came over to Aeris and she turned her head towards him. "It's okay. He's harmless. I promise you that we won't let anything happen to you." Aeris portrayed the same attitude that Cloud had when he first saw Sephiroth.  
  
She frowned at Cloud. "And you're okay with this?!" Cloud hugged her again, stalling for time to figure out how to reply.  
  
"Well, I, um, you know. I don't have a choice really. Squall trusts him so I'm giving him a chance." Aeris remained silent and he knew how she felt. She shook her head, but didn't comment.  
  
Sephiroth stood there awkwardly, watching the two. He would never admit it to anyone, but secretly he had always found Aeris attractive. He realized that he was staring at her and he blushed and turned his head away. Thankfully, no one had noticed. He shook his head regretfully. If only Jenova hadn't had so much control over him and his clones. He winced at the memory of his clone stabbing Aeris through the stomach. Although he hadn't directly tried to kill her, his mind was linked with all the clones Hojo had created and he has felt Aeris' pain. Along with the hate and anger from her friends towards him afterwards. Could she ever forgive him?  
  
He blinked, hearing his name. "So I'll just walk you back to the infirmary all right?" Sephiroth glanced at Squall and realized that all eyes were on him. He shifted uncomfortably as he racked his brain for something to say. Even Cloud was shooting daggers at him with his angry glare, Sephiroth felt his expression soften when he gazed at Aeris.  
  
"Okay. Let's go," he spoke softly to Squall.  
  
Aeris saw the serious expression on Sephiroth's face change a little when his eyes rested on her for a moment and felt a little confused. Was he feeling guilty for hurting her? Aeris ignored her thoughts and turned her attention back to Cloud.  
  
Squall and Sephiroth headed back to the infirmary. Squall made sure Sephiroth was back in bed and patted his shoulder companionably. "Rest up. Give them a while to get used to the whole thing and I'm sure they'll warm up to you." Sephiroth gave Squall a half smile and leaned back onto the pillow.  
  
"Thank you. I really appreciate everything you do for me."  
  
Squall smiled, "no problem."  
  
Sephiroth sighed in relief when Squall finally left the room. No one knew how much he had cried for Aeris. He had assumed she died when the clone stabbed his sword through her. His mind raced with thoughts and he put the pillow over his face. It was useless. Everyone hated and despised him. He'd given them no reason to trust him so why should they? Grinning maliciously, he thought of Cloud with a masemune in his back. Now there's a pretty picture I could get used to. He sighed and rolled onto his side, replacing the pillow in its original place and slowly fell asleep with an image of Aeris in his mind.  
  
Aeris held Cloud's hand tightly while he rambled on beside her. She didn't think she could listen even if she wanted to. Cloud was going on about something or other to do with staying at Garden for a while to help out Squall. She just nodded and smiled a lot until he stopped talking, even though staying here was the last thing she wanted to do. He caught her by surprise when he leaned over and kissed her. He pulled back after a moment and grinned.  
  
"Thanks. This means a lot to me. And to Squall. Although I'm sure he'll find a different way to thank you then I will." Squall came around the corner and paused for a moment, blushing, before he looked at Cloud.  
  
"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Cloud shook his head and Squall gave him a knowing smile.  
  
"So, have you talked to her yet?" he asked hopefully.  
  
Cloud nodded, "yah, I did. We're going to stay." Squall hugged Aeris gratefully.  
  
"Thanks for letting him stay!"  
  
Aeris smiled shyly, "just don't let me catch you two up to mischief or this one here is going home." She messed up Cloud's hair as she spoke. He pushed her hand away playfully.  
  
"Stop that! Do you have any idea how long it takes me to do my hair in the morning?!"  
  
Squall shook his head and laughed. Aeris smiled at the blushing Cloud. "Come on you guys. I'll show you to your room," Squall said, gesturing for them to follow him. Cloud put his arm around Aeris' waist and they followed him to the dormitories. Squall lead them to one of the bigger dorms and handed Cloud the key. "Have a nice night partner."  
  
Squall left them and headed for the elevator. He stopped dead in his tracks and ran his hand through his hair, remembering Rinoa's silent threat. The look she had given him said it all. 'Show you face here tonight and you'll seriously regret it.' He sighed, got into the elevator and pressed the button for his floor.  
  
Aeris inspected the room critically. She smiled slightly at the navy curtains that clashed with the red bedspread. It would do. For now. Cloud knew exactly what she was thinking. He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled the back of her neck.  
  
"We'll get a navy bedspread. Don't worry. By the time I'm done with this room everything with match perfectly." Aeris smiled gratefully.  
  
"Thanks, sweety, but remember, it's not permanent." Cloud slid his hands up onto her shoulders and massaged lightly.  
  
"You're tense, love. What's wrong?"  
  
Aeris closed her eyes, "nothing. I'm fine. Just tired I guess." Cloud snuggled her again and she leaned back against him. "Lets just go to sleep," Aeris whispered, her head starting to pound painfully. She massaged her temples with her fingertips and Cloud looked at her with concern.  
  
"Come to bed then. We can talk in the morning." Aeris changed into her pajamas and climbed into the bed next to Cloud. As soon as she lay down she felt a gentle, loving hand stroking her hair and she curled up in Cloud's arms her head still throbbing.  
  
Squall knocked nervously on the door of his bedroom. He waited for an answer and when none came he sighed and called softly through the door. "Rinoa? Honey, please. Come on. I'll find some time for us to spend alone all right? I promise. I mean I'm free now..... Just open the door." He heard some sounds from inside the room and a few seconds later a miffed Rinoa opened the door and looked at him impatiently.  
  
"What?!" she snapped, a trace of hurt in her voice. He grabbed her in his arms before she could shut the door and pulled her out into the hallway. He kissed her cheek to show that he knew he wasn't forgiven yet and held her for a minute. Squall looked down at her lovingly before speaking.  
  
"I love you, that's what." Rinoa tried to keep a serious face, but a smile was breaking through. Squall saw his chance and tickled her making her break out into giggles. She pushed him away teasingly.  
  
"Cheater," she said in a mock-annoyed tone, "I knew I should have left the door shut."  
  
Squall felt safe enough to smile. "Tired?" he asked innocently. She shook her head, amused, and pulled him back inside the room.  
  
"Not yet."  
  
Squall closed the door behind him and made sure it was locked this time.  
  
Aeris sat up in bed and shivered. She was freezing cold and her head hurt even more then before. She glanced over at Cloud. No wonder she was so cold! The blanket hog had all the freakin' covers! She smiled fondly at him and quietly swung her legs out of bed, sticking her feet into a pair of slippers. Carefully stepping around obstacles she made her way out of the dorm room and into the hallway. She shivered again and rubbed her arms.  
  
Stepping lightly along the hallway, Aeris made her way into the main hall. Sighing, she felt the need to get away from this place for a while. Having nowhere to go, she went past the infirmary and paused by the stairs that go to the balcony. She considered her options and walked on over to the training center entrance. He headache intensified and she let out a small cry of pain. Aeris leaned on the door and when another wave of pain slashed through her she shoved open the door and went inside.  
  
Sephiroth had jolted awake from the numerous nightmares he repeatedly experienced. Pacing around the room seemed to be the only thing that calmed his nerves. He saw a shadow pass by the window and sensed someone in pain going down the front hallway. Sephiroth wondered who, besides himself, would be up this late.  
  
He peered out the door and his heart skipped a beat when he saw a petite figure in blue pajamas and fuzzy slippers standing by the balcony exit. She seemed to change her mind and moved on to the training center. A wave of pain from Aeris washed over him and he winced. The last thing he wanted was for her to be in pain. He slipped into his housecoat and followed her silently into the training center.  
  
She was far ahead of him and by the time he entered the center he had lost sight of her. He concentrated, looking for Aeris' presence and finally his mind caught hold of hers.  
  
He jogged quickly and entered a side room where her presence was the strongest. Aeris was leaning against the wall. Her shoulders were shaking and tears ran off her cheeks, dripping onto the floor. Sephiroth felt a little awkward, but her couldn't stand to leave her like this. He stepped forward and stopped again, not quite sure how to approach her. Sephiroth moved forward and gently placed his hand on her back. Aeris cried out and spun around. Sephiroth hated the fear he could see in her eyes when she looked at him and he turned his face away, not able to bear it any longer. Aeris could sense that Sephiroth wasn't going to hurt her, but she didn't know what he wanted from her.  
  
She could feel her fear fading slightly and she broke down and threw her arms around Sephiroth , still crying. His eyes shifted back and forth nervously and he awkwardly patted her back. Something inside her mind was really hurting her. He closed his eyes and searched through her thoughts. He found the source of the headache and transferred the pain to himself.  
  
Aeris quieted when she felt the pain leave and a kind of peace settled over her. Sephiroth embraced her, then backed away. She could see his face tightened in pain. Somehow he had taken the pain from her. She frowned and stepped towards him. Sephiroth watched her longingly as she came towards him and knew her had to leave her here before he did something he's regret. Turning, he ran through the door and all the way back to his bed. He climbed into the comfy sheets and focused until the pounding headache faded, then smiling him to himself, he fell asleep.  
  
Aeris stared at the space Sephiroth had been a few moments earlier. What exactly was she doing? Cloud would be furious if he found out that Sephiroth had followed her and been with her while she was all alone and unprotected. She shook her head, thinking of how he seemed to treat her like a child a lot. Her heart was beating like a drum, but not from fear. Sephiroth had been so kind to her, so different from how she remembered him. And were his eyes always that deep blue? She clearly remembered his green, eyes glowing from the mako infused in his body.  
  
Is it possible that he wasn't the Sephiroth they had destroyed? Could the real Sephiroth still be alive? Feeling dizzy, Aeris sat down and leaned back against the wall. She had to talk to him. Had to know. She pushed herself up again and headed back to her room. She'd talk to him tomorrow.  
  
Cloud jerked awake suddenly. He glanced at the clock next to the bed and groaned. Five-sixteen a.m. Still early. He rolled over and gently stroked Aeris' long, silky hair that spilled over the pillow. Snuggling up against her, he fell back asleep.  
  
Later that morning Cloud awoke to an empty bed. He yawned, stretching his arms over his head and propped himself up on his elbows. Cloud looked around for any sign of Aeris. He shrugged and stripped off his pajamas to take a shower.  
  
Sitting at a two-person table in the cafeteria, Aeris skimmed over today's newspaper and sipped her glass of orange juice. No one awake yet and there was a peaceful silence throughout Garden. Quiet footsteps entered the room and Aeris glanced up at the newcomer. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Squall heading for her. He carefully pulled out a chair and turned it backwards so he could lean on the headrest.  
  
"You're up early," he commented in a light and pleasant voice.  
  
"Likewise," she smiled.  
  
Squall shrugged. "Well, Rinoa kept me up half the night so I'm surprised to be up this early."  
  
"I didn't need to know," Aeris remarked, shaking her head. Squall just grinned and stood again.  
  
"I just wanted to come and share a little good news with you. I just got a letter this morning and Avalanche is going to come and help us out. They said they'll be sending a couple members over with some emergency finds for us and they might stay for awhile. They should be here in a few days."  
  
"That's great!" Aeris responded excitedly.  
  
Squall beamed happily. "I know. I hope they don't send that Cid guy, though. We don't get along to well. He seems to have a thing for Rinoa." He shook his head, "anyway, I'm gonna go check in on your man. Come find me if you need anything." Squall left and Aeris gratefully went back to reading her newspaper.  
  
Bored of the news, she flipped through until she found the comics and giggled to herself quietly. Garfield had always been one if her favourite comics. Again, she heard someone enter the room and sighed.  
  
"Go away Squall," she grumbled to herself. She glanced up and piercing blue eyes caught hers. A small sound escaped from her throat and she quickly looked back down at the newspaper. Sephiroth, unusually dressed in a fuzzy black housecoat, shyly sat in the unoccupied chair at Aeris' table.  
  
"Good morning," he spoke softly. Aeris felt a shiver go down her spine. Slightly embarrassed from the previous night's activities, Aeris was unsure how to answer. Sephiroth could see Aeris struggling for something to say and he decided to help her out.  
  
"Sure is quiet this morning," he commented, smiling at her, "it's so peaceful before all the students wake up." Aeris nodded wordlessly and mentally scolded herself for noticing the housecoat Sephiroth was wearing complimented his.........attributes. She blushed and looked away. Sephiroth could sense her uneasiness and felt stupid, now, for bothering her.  
  
He stood and bowed his head slightly to her. "I can see that I've disturbed your peaceful morning. I'll be on my way then."  
  
Aeris found her voice at last and stood, stopping him. "Can I talk to you later?" she blurted out. Sephiroth looked surprised.  
  
"Um.....sure. When? Or should we just talk now?" Aeris felt her heart beat faster and felt dizzy again. Sephiroth looked at her with concern and took a step closer. "Are you all right? You look like you're going to pass out." Aeris allowed Sephiroth to steady her and wondered what was happening to her. Why did he make her so nervous? Except for the obvious reasons, like fact that he had tried to kill her. She was kind of attracted to him. But then, it was hard not to be......I mean for god sakes look at him!  
  
Aeris blinked and shook her head. Sephiroth's face was peering down into hers and she resisted any foolish ideas that entered her head. "U, um," she stuttered like an idiot, "will you meet me later tonight? I, I'll, um.......I'll come to the infirmary to get you."  
  
Sephiroth nodded, but still looked confused. "Certainly. I look forward to speaking with you later." Without thinking, he gently kissed her hand goodbye and quickly left. Aeris felt a tingling sensation go through her body. Cloud chose that very in-opportune moment to enter the cafeteria. He saw her ghostly white face and immediately hugged her tightly in his arms.  
  
"What's the matter, love?" She just shook her head, feeling extremely guilty about everything she'd been feeling. Cloud kissed her and sat her back down at the table. "Well, if you're sure you're okay...... Um, Squall and I were going to hang out for a while. So.......I'll see you later, okay?" With one last kiss, he left Aeris sitting alone.  
  
What is it with people? Is it 'come say hi for ten minutes and leave' day?! Frustrated, abandoned and no longer able to concentrate on her newspaper, she decided to spend the day in the library. Away from everyone. She needed time to collect all her thoughts.  
  
Sephiroth hurried back to the infirmary, but kept a desperate look out for Squall. He needed to do something before things got out of hand.  
  
Cloud and Squall sat at a table in the dorm recreation room surrounded by a crowd of students excitedly watching. Cloud dealt out the cards and everyone passed money into pools, betting on the one they thought would win. Feeling a twinge of guilt, Cloud wished he wasn't abandoning Aeris so frequently. He hoped she wasn't taking it too personally. A smile played on his lips at the mere thought of her and Squall tapped lightly on his forehead. "Time to play. Wakey wakey sleepyhead." Cloud grinned and inspected his cards. The game had begun.  
  
Flipping through pages without really looking at them, Aeris thought about Cloud. He was her protector, he love, her husband. How could she even look at anyone else, but him? He practically worshiped the ground she walked on.  
  
Leaning her forehead on the page in front of her, she simply listened to the quiet musical tones she could always sense coming from the earth instead of trying to decipher feelings that would never make sense. Aeris hummed softly to herself and fell into a peaceful sleep against a bookshelf.  
  
Sephiroth spent most of the afternoon outside of Garden. He preferred the outdoors and since they weren't moving at the moment he didn't have to worry about being left behind. Removing his masemune from its sheath he began going through his training exercises that he had long since memorized. Hours passed by as his sword sliced through the air, unhesitant, never pausing.  
  
Satisfied at last, Sephiroth let his sword drop to his side and stood, chest heaving, to look back at Garden. His heart stopped when he saw nothing but the horizon layed out in front of him.  
  
Where was Garden?!  
  
He squinted desperately in every direction, but it was no where within his sight range. Calming himself, he searched the ground for the impression that Garden had left behind. Once he found it, he took off in the direction the wind blown grass was facing. Anger burned fiercely in the back of his mind and he snarled with rage. Had they figured it out? Did they know of his plans? With an evil smirk upon his face he ran on. I they thought they had gotten rid of him they were dead wrong.  
  
Aeris woke suddenly out of a deep sleep. A fearful chill ran down her entire body and she found herself shivering uncontrollably. The planet was afraid. Deathly afraid, of something, but the voices weren't as clear in Garden and she couldn't quite grasp what they were trying to tell her; warn her almost. She inhaled deeply and shuddered.  
  
Looking around her at the now empty library, she wondered how long she had slept and how late it was. When she stood he stomach rumbled and reminded her of how many meals she'd missed in the past while. Aeris smiled to herself at the thought of meeting Sephiroth later then mentally scolded herself. She needed to pluck these feelings out by the roots before they grew any more.  
  
She headed for the cafeteria to grab some dinner and check the time. Arriving at last at the cafeteria, Aeris grabbed a taco salad and iced tea and glanced up at the clock. Nine-fifty?! No wonder the place was empty! She took her food with her and ran towards the infirmary. Sephiroth probably thought she had forgotten about him. Knocking gently on the door, she entered and looked around.  
  
"Sephiroth," she whispered into the darkness. Where was he? She sighed and went back into the hall wondering if he was avoiding her. Shrugging the thought away, Aeris headed up the staircase past the balcony entrance and leaned on the railings, munching salad and watching the stars. They shine brightly down on her and she breathed in the night air deeply. Being outside always calmed her and cleared her mind. Aeris closed her eyes and unconsciously began to sing with the planet in sweet, melodious tones.  
  
Sephiroth felt even his amazing energy beginning to subside after running for so long at his top speed. The only thing that was keeping him from collapsing was the increasingly bigger dot of Garden in the distance. He ran on for another twenty minutes and with his last ounce of strength he threw himself at a bottom door and managed to grab onto a nearby frame. With a leap, he smashed his way through the door. Sephiroth lay panting on the floor for a moment before he was up again and heading for the stairs to the main floor, a grim look set upon his face.  
  
Squall grinned smugly at Cloud and triumphantly displayed his full house. Cloud shrugged and gathered up all the cards. "You may have won the battle, but I'm gonna win the war."  
  
Squall took the deck that Cloud offered and shuffled with expert precision. "Bring it on!" he shot back. Cloud glanced at his watch.  
  
"Oh my gosh! I've gotta get to bed! Aeris is gonna kill me!"  
  
"Whipped. Completely whipped," Squall teased.  
  
Cloud smiled, "the sooner I get back, the sooner I can make it up to her." Nodding, Squall starting clearing the table. The few lingering students that were left went off to their rooms. Cloud started to help clean, but Squall shooed him away.  
  
"Go find your lady. I'll finish up here."  
  
"Thanks. I appreciate it," Cloud said, patting his friend's shoulder, "see you tomorrow."  
  
He quickly headed off to his room, already composing, in his head, the best apologies he could think of for being gone all day. Upon nearing his room he sighed at the dark interior. Aeris must already be sleeping. Cloud carefully opened the door and let his eyes adjust to the dark. The empty room surprised him. Was she so upset that she was sleeping somewhere else? Sitting on the edge of the bed, he began undressing and pulled on his pajamas. He guiltily lay back on top of the covers. Cloud decided to give Aeris her space and wait up for awhile in case she came back. Rolling over, he grabbed the remote and flicked through channels boredly.  
  
Sephiroth leaned on his masemune in the empty hall and suppressed his desperate want to kill every living soul he could feel around him. How dare they! Aware or not, they had left the great and powerful General behind. Now they must suffer. It was hard enough to keep his innocent, tree-hugging Sephiroth image intact without having these awful urges to lash out and kill something.  
  
The fools had believed every word that came out of his mouth and lapped up his apologies like eager little puppy dogs. They are his puppets and they don't even realize it. The only person who could be a future problem is his old enemy. Cloud Strife watched him a little too closely. He would deal with him eventually. It was inevitable.  
  
A sudden presence startled him out of his thoughts and a flood of emotions caught him off guard. His one true weakness had been partially connected to his mind since he healed her of the severe headache. A smile played on his lips as he saw Aeris' distress and the events of her day played in his mind. He shook his head. 'Strife, you're making it too easy for me.'  
  
In spite of his evil future plans, Aeris made something happen to him every time he was near her. It was like a power that took over him and made any and all rational thought leave him. He admitted that he did like her, but he hated himself for it. Sephiroth was supposed to be emotionless not compassionate and loving. It just didn't work. "What had Cloud done now?" he wondered to himself, sensing that Cloud was the source of Aeris' distress. He knew that one way of getting to Cloud would be though his wife. What Aeris saw in that wimpy runt he would never know. Sheathing his sword, Sephiroth climbed the stairs to the balcony and pushed the door open...............  
  
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Author: *duh duh duh* Well, okay, I'll admit that wasn't really a cliff hanger, but I bet you all wish you could read the "balcony scene" that's coming up next. Don'tcha? Don'tcha?! You bet you do. *laughs evilly* The only way I can give you the next part is if you would give me five reviews in return. I humbly ask for that meager offering of your gratitude for all the typing and hard work I put into this story. (I do it all or you guys) :)  
  
Sephiroth: *sniffs, about to cry* No one kisses me in this chapter! This story sucks!  
  
Author: *grabs him and kisses him deeply, then pulls back after a couple minutes* There! Are you happy now? Quit your whining already!  
  
Sephiroth: *gasps for air* WOW!  
  
Author: *sighs and shakes her head* Thank you so much for reading. Now all you have to do is review. You know. R&R and all that.  
  
Sephiroth: *looks at the Author with a new found interest and advances on her*  
  
Author: Hey! Back off buddy! *hits Sephiroth with a stick* I'm taken!  
  
Sephiroth: *hangs his head* Awwwww............  
  
Cloud: *snickers* Shot down!  
  
Author: *whacks Cloud unconscious with the same stick* I'm sorry Sephiroth, but all I can promise you is a one night stand......for now......  
  
Sephiroth: YAY!!!!!! *dances around with glee*  
  
Author: Anyway, I should probably end this before I seriously disturb people........wait.........I probably already did...... *ahem* Sorry. Again, thanks to everyone who read this AND REVIEWED. I'll have the next chapter up much sooner then you had to wait for this one. See ya next chapter. 


	4. Ch4: Cloud clues in, well, sort of

Author: Wow. Fourth chapter already! Oh yah! I would like to thank my inspirations at the moment. Lots of love and thanks to Chelsey (who griped and yarped until I posted) and "Aeris-TheWhiteMageofCetras" (check out her fanfics, she's an awesome writer)  
  
Sephiroth: *smiles and huggles Author* I feel happy! Oh so happy! I feel pretty and witty and gay!  
  
Author: *eyes widen and she smacks Sephiroth* Snap out of it! I won't tolerate a gay Sephiroth! Not under my watch!  
  
Sephiroth: *pouts* Why can't I be happy?  
  
Author: *can't resist his sad puppydog look and hugs Sephiroth* I'm sorry, but sometimes you just need to shut up.  
  
Sephiroth: *shrugs* Well I know that. I just say what I want anyway. What kind of one winged god would I be if I took orders from mere humans?  
  
Author: *raises an eyebrow* An un-dead one.  
  
Sephiroth: *frantically bows and apologizes* Sorry, sorry, you're right. I won't disobey you again.  
  
Author: *kisses his cheek* Be a good boy and you'll get a treat.  
  
Sephiroth: Yay!  
  
Author: Sorry about that momentary lapse of sanity. I'll move on to the fanfiction now. :P (And for those of you who are waiting for some action, it's coming so calm down and keep your pants on..............No, seriously. Please do.................)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~  
  
Last chapter, end line: (Sheathing his sword, Sephiroth climbed the stairs to the balcony and pushed the door open)  
  
As he laid eyes on Aeris standing by the railing, he gasped. The way the moonlight shone down on her beautiful face, lighting it up like an angel, took his breath away. Scarsley breathing, he drew closer to her and a soothing angelic melody surrounded him and calmed him brooding mind. His desire to kiss her or just touch her was so great that he stepped forward against his own will and gently ran his fingers through her unbraided flowing hair.  
  
'My god, this woman smelled heavenly,' he sighed to himself, 'did she have any flaws at all?' This one dent in his emotionless armor was perfect to him in all aspects.  
  
At his gentle touch, Aeris' song stopped and she spun around to face him. She watched him, tears running down her face, utterly confused by the loving gaze that was directed at her. Her heart pounded in her chest and she unknowingly took a step back. He closed the distance between them and, almost shyly, took her into his arms, holding her close and comfortingly stroking her hair. Aeris fearfully pulled away and wiped her eyes, embarrassed.  
  
"Just what do you think you're doing?!" she demanded. Sephiroth guiltily looked away from her reprimanding gaze.  
  
"I........just, you looked upset....... I thought you could use a friend."  
  
Aeris sighed and her lip trembled. "I'm fine."  
  
Sephiroth frowned and wiped away a stray tear that ran down her cheek. "Like hell you're fine."  
  
Aeris just shook her head, "and why do you care?"  
  
"Because," he struggled for words, "I don't know. I just do. Guilty conscious I guess..." Sephiroth's voice became quieter as he spoke. Aeris was surprised at the genuinely sorry look on his face. He actually seemed to regret what had happened in the past.  
  
"Don't beat yourself up about it," Aeris said softly, in a reassuring way. Sephiroth smiled, his eyes masking their emotions once more.  
  
"Hey. That's my line. Who's comforting who here?" The uneasy tension between them broke and Aeris looked at Sephiroth curiously.  
  
"So, how did you know something was wrong?"  
  
Grinning, Sephiroth leaned back against the railing. "Well, I could clearly see you had been crying so I figured that: a. you poked yourself in the eye or b. something was wrong." She laughed softly, a gentle tinkling sound that made Sephiroth glow inside. He had made her laugh! Instantly feeling like an idiot, he turned his attention back to Aeris.  
  
Shaking her head, Aeris sighed. "I feel so childish. I know Cloud is here to help Squall, but I've been grumpy and difficult because I didn't want to stay. I just wanted to go home. I feel so alone sometimes."  
  
Sephiroth nodded, "I know what you mean." Aeris frowned disbelievingly. Could this emotionless general who killed without a second thought be............lonely? She suddenly remembered she had asked him to meet her for a reason.  
  
"Oh, um.......by the way...," she mentioned, trying to sound casual, "I just wanted to clear up a few things. Misunderstandings I guess you'd call them...." Sephiroth looked a little confused, but nodded for her to continue. "Well....," Aeris began awkwardly, "I feel.....unsure, about how you came to be here, exactly."  
  
Sephiroth fidgeted a little, not knowing how to word what he wanted to say. "I don't remember very far back.......I know, that once I found out about the things that Shinra did to my mother, my real mother, I was furious. I destroyed my home and my town and the world was lucky that Cloud had the courage to face me in the Nibelhiem reactor. He threw me down into the bottom of the reactor and I barely survived, but slowly my strength began to return. Luckily my feelings of vengeance did not. Jenova didn't know until the very end that I was alive. Hojo didn't seem to have any problems with stealing my DNA samples and making a clone for Jenova to control though. It took care of most of her orders for me....." Sephiroth was snarling with rage by the end of his explanation.  
  
Aeris touched his arm lightly, feeling sorry for him for the first time in her entire life.  
  
Sephiroth just shook his head and sighed, "I'm sorry."  
  
Aeris smiled sympathetically. Her hand self-consciously touched her stomach where her scar lay underneath. "It wasn't you," she whispered, more to herself then Sephiroth. She held back tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. Sephiroth silently hugged her to him and her shoulders began to shake as tears of relief ran down her face. Stroking her back, Sephiroth held her until she stopped crying. Aeris tensed a little as if she was about to pull back and changed her mind.  
  
Sephiroth was surprised when her felt two gentle arms clasp around his waist. "Aeris.........," he said, startled by her bold action. She put a finger to his lips and looked up at him.  
  
"Please. Just let me have a minute. Just one minute."  
  
Sephiroth could feel her warmth against him and wishfully ran his fingers through her hair. Aeris pulled back after awhile and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Smiling sadly, she took one of his hands in hers. "Thank-you," Aeris murmured. Sephiroth leaned down and kissed Aeris' cheek.  
  
"Anytime," he smiled, "if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I'll be there."  
  
Aeris reddened at the kiss, embarrassed, but didn't object. "It's......it's getting late," she stammered awkwardly.  
  
"All right," Sephiroth quipped, "we'd better get you to bed then." Aeris allowed Sephiroth to take her back inside and promised she would find him tomorrow. With one last hug, Sephiroth let her go to her room. "See you tomorrow," he whispered in her ear.  
  
After walking Aeris back to her room, Sephiroth headed off to bed as well. He decided to ask Squall if he could be approved for a dorm room instead of being stuck in the infirmary for the rest of his recovery. As he lay back in bed, he thought about the days events and how things were taking a considerable turn in his favor. "Watch your back Cloud Strife," he whispered aloud, "because the next time it's turned I may just have to put a sword through it." That being said, Sephiroth laid back in bed, wanting tomorrow to come.  
  
Aeris smiled when she entered her room and saw Cloud sprawled out on top of the covers. She moved him so his head was resting on the pillow and pulled the blankets over him. Climbing into bed, she snuggled against Cloud and fell asleep, with thoughts of a certain silver-haired general on her mind.  
  
***  
  
Aeris groaned and rolled over when sunlight shone in her face and pierced through her eyelids. "Too early..." she mumbled sleepily and Cloud stirred beside her. He said something into the pillow that she couldn't decipher and rolled onto his back, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Cloud leaned to the side and messed up Aeris' hair with his hands. She shoved him away, but he caught her in his arms and kissed her.  
  
"Good morning," he grinned, smothering her with kisses. Aeris giggled and tried to fend him off.  
  
"Get your morning breath away from me," she yelped and Cloud laughed, not stopping his attack.  
  
Catching Cloud by surprise, Aeris pushed him back suddenly and laughed brightly as he crashed to the floor. "You're gonna get it now," Cloud grinned evilly, standing and rubbing his head. Aeris shrieked playfully as he pounced on her and held her arms down on the bed. "Now what are you going to do?" Cloud teased, "I've got you prisoner and there's no one to save you this time."  
  
Aeris lifted her head and kissed Cloud deeply. She felt his grip loosen as she distracted him and reversed the situation. Now she was holding him down and laughing evilly. Cloud freed an arm and tickled her until she was laughing helplessly and gasping for air.  
  
"Cloud.......stop.....it.....," she giggled, swatting at him weakly. He collapsed beside her and breathed in deeply, a little short on air himself. Glancing to the side, he watched the beautiful smile that had spread across her face and reached out a hand to stroke her cheek. Not able to resist, he turned to the side and stole a kiss, narrowing missing the following attempt of Aeris to hit him playfully. She climbed out of bed and dressed quickly shivering in the cold air outside the blankets.  
  
Cloud stretched his arms above his head and lay back again lazily. "What's the rush?" he inquired. Aeris blushed and looked at the ground.  
  
"I don't know," she shrugged, "we should get ready though, because Avalanche could be here at any minute..."  
  
Cloud raised his eyebrows. "Um, love, I hate to break it to you, but no one is insane enough, well besides us, to be up at this hour. It's the weekend and students have the day off, remember? Now come back to bed." Aeris smiled at the seductive look Cloud was trying to give her and laughed.  
  
"Nice try buddy, but you still owe me for ditching me all of yesterday."  
  
He tried to look innocent. "Then come here and I'll make it up to you." Aeris glanced at the clock and noted that it was almost lunch time.  
  
"Liar," she laughed and jumped onto the bed beside him, "it's not early at all."  
  
"Can you blame me for trying?" he grinned.  
  
Aeris leaned over and kissed him, feeling Cloud's arms wrap around her as she did. "Cloud," she said, trying desperately to pry him off her before things got out of hand, "someone might come looking for us. What if Squall comes in?"  
  
Cloud held onto her tightly, "then I'll yell at him for not knocking."  
  
Aeris giggled and still resisted him. She nuzzled Cloud's neck and he released her at last. "Fine," he pouted, "I'll go find someone who will love me."  
  
Aeris' eyes twinkled mischievously. "You know," she said thoughtfully, "Sephiroth is just down the hall....."  
  
Cloud shook his head and grinned at her. "I'd much rather have you thanks."  
  
Aeris sighed, "later sweety. We need to get up now." Cloud got out of bed at last and dressed in his usual attire. Coming up behind Aeris he put his arms around her waist and propped his chin on her shoulder, watching her get ready in the mirror. He frowned at the makeup she was applying.  
  
"Why do you even bother with that gunk?" he asked in disgust, "you don't need it." She just smiled.  
  
"You wouldn't understand. You're not a woman." Cloud just rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through her hair, knowing very well what it did to her. "Stop that," she protested, realizing what Cloud was up to, "I said later."  
  
Splitting the hair into three parts, Cloud gently braided it for her and grabbed the pink ribbon off the counter to tie the bottom. Aeris leaned back against him when he was finished and sighed contentedly. "I guess we should get going now......," she noted, glancing at his reflection in the mirror. Cloud nodded and they headed out the door, walking hand in hand towards the cafeteria.  
  
***  
  
Sephiroth awoke feeling rested and happy, for once in his life. Just the thought of Aeris was enough to get him out of bed and ready to go in five minutes flat. Did this woman know what she did to him? He was putty in her hands and she was too clue less to notice. He sighed and smoothed out the front of his coat. Black sure did look good on him. (A/N *drools*)  
  
With a smug look of confidence he headed out of the infirmary and towards the cafeteria. Food may be the second thought on his mind at the moment, but he didn't know where Aeris was so he'd settle for the food. For now. Upon entering the cafeteria, he saw with satisfaction that Cloud and Aeris were already seated with their lunches and from the looks of it, they'd just started eating. He budged in line and quickly grabbed a sandwich and water and shoved twenty gil at the cashier. "Keep the change," he said as he walked away. He walked closer to Aeris' table where she could see him and looked around as thought he didn't know where he should sit.  
  
Aeris saw Sephiroth looking around for a seat, without much success and smiled to herself. "Sephiroth!" she called over to him, "there's a seat over here!" She saw his head turn towards her and a smile lit up his face. Casually strolling over to them, Sephiroth grinned smugly at Cloud who was giving him a "die-you-stupid-prik" look. Aeris turned back around and caught the look Cloud was giving Sephiroth.  
  
"Sweety," she said with a warning tone, "be nice." Cloud glowered and picked at his food. When had they gotten so friendly with each other?  
  
Seating himself next to Aeris and pulling the chair closer to her, Sephiroth shoved his food to the side and smiled gratefully. "Thanks for the offer. I didn't see anywhere to sit." Cloud glared at Sephiroth and looked around at the seven empty tables surrounding them.  
  
"Whatever," Cloud muttered and continued to poke at his food, only with more vengeance now. Squall came in excitedly and plopped himself down in the seat between Sephiroth and Cloud.  
  
"Hey, guess what?" he practically yelled. Aeris looked at him and giggled. He looked like a little boy who got a sticker for getting a good mark on a test.  
  
"What?" she asked, playing along.  
  
"Avalanche is on their way! In fact they should be here by tonight!"  
  
Cloud's head came up to reality and he stopped mutilating his chicken. "Really? Did they say who's coming?"  
  
Squall shook his head and shrugged. "Nope, but as long as Cid stays at home, I'm good! Oh, this is so great! We'll be back on our feet in no time!" Rinoa came in yawning and rubbing her eyes. Her hair was a mess and she wore a fuzzy house coat.  
  
"Morning," she yawned, clearly not sharing her husband's enthusiasm. Squall jumped up and hugged her, lifting Rinoa off her feet and spinning her around. Rinoa moaned.  
  
"Coffee, that's all I ask. Please. Coffee."  
  
Sephiroth smiled at the distressed woman and got up to get her some. Squall finally calmed down a little and sat again with Rinoa on his lap. She leaned against his chest and curled up against him. Fondly brushing some hair out of her eyes, Squall kissed her forehead and let her rest.  
  
"Poor woman," he grinned, "she's been listening to me go on and on all night about how excited I am. She's probably going to kill them all when they get here because they didn't wait until morning to call."  
  
Sephiroth came back with a strong cup of coffee and handed it to Rinoa, who smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you. At least someone knows how to treat a woman right," she teased, looking at Squall. He frowned and nuzzled her.  
  
"Hey. Be nice. I'm learning aren't I?"  
  
Rinoa pushed him away to take a long drink of her coffee. "Slowly, but surely. I guess eventually you'll act your age."  
  
Squall grabbed her coffee away and held it where she couldn't reach it unless she moved. "Squall," she whined, "give it back. I'm warning you!"  
  
Laughing, he handed it back and she smiled and kissed him. Turning to Aeris she grinned. "He's just jealous cause my coffee is getting more attention then him." The two girls laughed and Squall shrugged, knowing any comment from him would only make the situation worse for him.  
  
Sephiroth cleared his throat and stood. "Well, I guess I will see you all later." His eyes held Aeris' as he spoke. Aeris blushed and looked away.  
  
Everyone said their 'see-you-laters' and he headed out the door. Squall smiled to himself. A certain silver-haired someone seemed to have a new attraction. He had seen the way Sephiroth looked at Aeris. He made a mental note to talk to the guy later.  
  
Cloud finally smiled and became social again now that Sephiroth was gone. He really didn't like him. If only he had stayed dead. Aeris startled him out of his thought when she lightly touched his arm. "You okay?" she whispered low so Squall and Rinoa wouldn't hear. Nodding he turned his attention to the conversation at hand.  
  
"I wanted to have two at first, but now I'm starting to think that would be two too many," Squall stated. Rinoa swatted him.  
  
"That's not exactly your decision, now is it?" she said mockingly, "unless you were planning on giving birth?" Squall just smiled and shook his head.  
  
"You still need me for the initial process," he grinned.  
  
Rinoa smiled at him smugly. "There are other ways." Squall paled and hugged her.  
  
"I love you honey," he said, sucking up to her.  
  
Rinoa laughed and snuggled against him. "Don't worry. I'm just teasing."  
  
Squall looked at Cloud, who seemed lost in thought. "How many are you planning on?" he teased Cloud, who looked bewildered.  
  
"Um? planning on?" he asked confused.  
  
"Yah you know. Just give us an estimate."  
  
Cloud didn't have a clue what they were talking about, but didn't want to seem like he hadn't been listening. "Um.........seven maybe....?"  
  
Aeris paled visibly. "Seven?! Sweety are you insane?! I'm not having seven children!"  
  
Cloud went bright red and hid his face behind his hands. He looked up at Aeris and smiled sheepishly. "It's up to you, love. Whatever you want."  
  
Squall laughed at him, knowing very well that he hadn't been listening and was enjoying the situation. Rinoa just rolled her eyes.  
  
Squall got up holding Rinoa in his arms. "Well, I'm off to fulfill my duties," he grinned. Rinoa hit him playfully until he put her down.  
  
She grabbed Aeris' arm. "Come on. I've got to show you the new outfit I got last week. It's drop dead gorgeous." Aeris smiled and followed her friend out of the cafeteria after kissing Cloud good-bye.  
  
Squall looked at his friend with concern. "Are you feeling okay? It's not like you to zone out when people are talking."  
  
Cloud shrugged absentmindedly and stood from the table. "Sorry Squall," he mumbled, "I guess I just have other things on my mind." Sighing he left Squall standing there, confused, and went back to his room. Once inside the room he carefully locked the door and laid on the bed deep in thought. He still didn't trust Sephiroth. Especially with the way he had been looking at his wife.  
  
Cloud rolled over onto his side and considered whether or not to bother Squall with his worries. I'm just being paranoid, he thought to himself, nothing really to worry about.....  
  
***  
  
Aeris gasped in awe at the beautiful dress Rinoa pulled out of the closet. She ran her fingers along the soft silky material and looked back up at Rinoa. "Where did you get this?" she asked in wonder. Rinoa just smiled happily.  
  
"Squall had it hidden to give to me whenever he screwed up. He gave it to me last night as an apology present."  
  
Aeris gazed at the dress longingly. "Maybe I should get mad at Cloud more and he'd buy me a dress like this."  
  
Rinoa watched her friend admiring the dress and felt a twinge of guilt. She knew that Cloud and Aeris were worse off financially then Squall and her were and that she probably shouldn't be rubbing such a lovely present in her friend's face when she couldn't possibly afford anything like it. Shoving it towards Aeris she smiled. "Here, try it on. If I'm not wrong we're still the same dress size are we not?"  
  
"Could I really?" Aeris asked unbelievingly, her eyes growing wide. Rinoa nodded and Aeris unbuttoned her dress and dropped it to the floor. Rinoa picked up Aeris' dress and frowned at it. It was certainly in some need of repair. Aeris slipped into the elegant burgundy silk dress and it draped down her body in just the right places. Rinoa felt a tear run down her cheek.  
  
"You're so beautiful," she whispered and Aeris hugged her tightly. Quickly removing the beautiful dress, Aeris slipped her old one back on and handed Rinoa hers before Rinoa could say anything else. Rinoa was at a loss for words and Aeris just smiled and headed for the door.  
  
"Come on, Rinoa. Let's find the boys and wait with them for Avalanche to arrive." Rinoa could see Aeris' excitement at the prospect of seeing her old friends and put the dress back on the hanger, then followed behind her.  
  
***  
  
Squall walked over to infirmary and knocked lightly on the inner door to Sephiroth's room. "Hey buddy? You in there?" A soft 'come in' came from the other side and Squall entered the room to find a miserable looking Sephiroth sitting on the bed.  
  
"Not you too," Squall commented, and Sephiroth glanced up.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh nothing," Squall replied, "you and Cloud just seem so down today. What's wrong? Girl trouble......?" Sephiroth looked at him suspiciously at that comment.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" he growled. Squall sighed and sat next to him.  
  
"I saw the way you were looking at Aeris today in the cafeteria. She may be beautiful, but she's taken. Don't do anything you'll regret later." Sephiroth stayed silent. Squall peered into his face, "do you disagree with me? Hmmmm? Why so silent?"  
  
"He doesn't deserve her," Sephiroth muttered bitterly. Squall sighed.  
  
"Despite what you may think, Aeris loves Cloud. Neither of them are going to be very happy if you go around trying to screw with their personal lives."  
  
"Whatever," Sephiroth snapped. Squall shook his head and gave up.  
  
"Just........be careful....," he warned. Getting up, Squall left Sephiroth to mull over what he had just said.  
  
Sephiroth thought of all the things he would do to a certain little blonde, spiky haired runt if he ever got his hands on him. He wouldn't have to worry about Cloud being in the way much longer....... Grinning to himself he tested his sword with a finger. Good and sharp.  
  
***  
  
Cloud shifted about uncomfortably, thinking about Aeris. He should really go hang out with his friends and stop moping about. God he felt pathetic. That's it! No more sulking! He jumped up from the bed and strolled out the door, colliding with the worse person possible.  
  
"Watch were you're going Strife!" Sephiroth snapped angrily at him. Cloud narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Oh shut up! You're just jealous because you can't have Aeris!" Sephiroth became deadly silent and Cloud knew he had struck home with that comment. Sephiroth smiled tightly and pointed to the balcony exit.  
  
"Care to take this outside?" he asked dangerously.  
  
"Gladly," Cloud snarled.  
  
Sephiroth followed Cloud up the stairwell, thinking of how easy it would be to stab him through the back and be done with it. Very un-sportsman like, but it would get the job done. Wanting to enjoy Cloud's slow, suffering death, he decided against it and watched Cloud push open the door.  
  
Once both of them were outside, Cloud spun around and drew his sword. Sephiroth smirked. "You really think that you could defeat me in battle?" he asked mockingly. Cloud growled.  
  
"What? Are you afraid to face me?" he challenged in return. Sephiroth closed the distance between them and grabbed Cloud by the front of his shirt before he had a chance to react. The Buster sword dropped from Cloud's hand and clattered to the deck.  
  
"How dare you, you stupid, pathetic mortal. You think I would fear you? You are merely a bug to be squashed in the path of my destruction!" Sephiroth shook Cloud to emphasize each word and Cloud whimpered in pain. Sephiroth angrily stormed over to edge of the balcony and dangled Cloud over the sixty-foot drop. "Care to throw anymore insults before you go? Or should I just tell Aeris you said good-bye?"  
  
Cloud's eyes flashed with rage and he struggled fiercely against Sephiroth's hold. "I won't let you touch her you bastard!" he yelled, "put me down and I'll fight you man to man!"  
  
Sephiroth smiled evilly, "as you wish."  
  
Moments later a sickeningly loud thud sounded from below.....  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~  
  
Author: Mwahahahahahaha! I love cliffhangers don't you? *hides from barrage of sharp objects being thrown her way* Okay, okay! I'm sorry, but it was necessary to make you want to read more. lol. Actually I quite enjoy leaving the chapter hanging like this. It was the perfect place to stop. :D *laughs evilly* I think Sephiroth is rubbing off on me. I hope you all still love me and I really, really, really would love it if you guys could give me six reviews because I didn't get a full five last time and so I can end your suspense.  
  
Sephiroth: *dances around happily* Aeris is mine! All mine!  
  
Author: *looks rejected* What about me?  
  
Sephiroth: *laughs* Hell, forget you! I'm gonna get me an Aeris!  
  
Author: *beats down Sephiroth with a meter stick (from my new math class, ugh new semester) and glares at his unconscious form* That'll teach you to laugh at me. *huggles Inuyasha and Legolas* You two can be my replacements until Sephiroth learns to obey me.  
  
Both: *shudder*  
  
Legolas: What have we done to receive such torture?  
  
Inuyasha: *shrugs* Oh well, it's better then that dead chick, what's her name. Kiky-something or other. She smells funny.  
  
Author: *shakes her head* Anyway, thank you for putting up with all my author's note that I enjoy so much! Please review! Lots of huggles for all! (Can you tell I'm starting to get desperate here? lol) ;) See ya soon. (Oh, yes. And I said the action is coming. I didn't mean this chapter.....lol. Don't worry. By the next chapter or two all you "hopeful" peoples should be satisfied) 


	5. Ch5: Sephiroth gets a break

Author: I feel the need to mention how utterly disturbingly long it took you people to give me five reviews. I'm sad. :( No one loves me anymore. Fine then! How about this. I won't ask for a "required" amount of reviews. I'll just update whenever I'm ready to. Ha! So there!  
  
*Legolas and Inuyasha shudder in fear when she comes closer to them, both chained to a wall and dress in 'leather apparel'*  
  
Author: *coos at them* How are my lovers doing?  
  
Legolas: Let us go! Without me middle earth will parish and no one with a perfect, beautiful complexion will be in the movie anymore, thus ceasing half the fans interests in seeing the movies and making our ratings/profits plummet!  
  
Author: *shrugs* I think you're a gay pretty-boy elf and that didn't stop me from seeing the movies. Not to mention your run-on sentences are atrocious.  
  
Legolas: Hey!  
  
Inuyasha: *smirks*  
  
Author: *turns to Inuyasha* And you, my little puppy dog, are a pathetic little whiner who can't accept when a relationship is over.  
  
Inuyasha: Hey! *growls angrily*  
  
Author: *giggles and takes their chains off them* There. You're free. Now get going.  
  
Inuyasha: *smiles meekly* Um, can I have my clothes back? I don't think a tight leather thong is acceptable in the feudal era.  
  
Legolas: *grins* I've grown rather attached to mine.  
  
Author: *shudders* Get out of here! I won't say it again! Or do you want more huggles?!  
  
Inuyasha and Legolas: NOOOOO!!!!!! *run away*  
  
Sephiroth: *returns with an apologetic look on his face* Hi......  
  
Author: *turns her back to him* Sorry. You had your chance. I'm even single now. But no, you wanted Aeris. Leave me be in my miserable self loathing!  
  
Sephiroth: *sighs* *glances at readers* You see what I have to put up with? Geez. And she wonders why I left. Well I can tell you that she doesn't own any of the Final Fantasy characters. Even me. Most of the time anyway. *clears throat* We are all owned by Squaresoft (Yah yah, I know. Square- Enix)  
  
Author: Hey! I didn't tell you to do the disclaimer yet! I was going to let Chelsey do it!  
  
Sephiroth: *shrugs*  
  
Author: *growls in anger and heads for her room* Let's start the fic!  
  
Sephiroth: *hurriedly follows* See you guys at the end of the chapter. :D  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~  
  
Squall's head jerked up away from his work when a loud crash echoed throughout Garden.  
  
"Emergency stop!" Squall barked into an intercom, "and what the hell was that?!"  
  
"No clue, sir. We're investigating as we speak." Squall jumped down onto the lift and got to the main entrance as fast as he could. Aeris and Rinoa were already there and an out of breath Sephiroth came running down the hall, followed by Cloud. Aeris could see that both men had their hands clenched tightly around their weapons and she made sure to position herself in between them.  
  
Squall entered a code into the key pad next to the door and a whoosh sounded as the door lowered into a ramp. Thick clouds of smoke billowed up into the main hall and the group made their way through to the outside. Loud swearing ensued and Cid swung himself out the side.  
  
"Fuck! I just washed the damn thing too!"  
  
Squall groaned. "Not Cid. Anyone, but Cid," he moaned to himself. A familiar cloaked face appeared as well and Vincent gracefully jumped ship. He landed on his feet then helped a frazzled looking Tifa down to the ground. Tifa's foot caught on the edge of the ship and the two ended up sprawled on the ground in a heap. Vincent untangled his cloak from the young woman and helped her up, a small smile playing on his lips. Tifa shook her head at his amusement and brushed herself off.  
  
Cloud's face widened into a smile as he ran to Tifa, smothering her in a big bear hug. Vincent strolled over to Aeris and she hugged him excitedly. Vincent pulled her back and inspected her.  
  
"I see time has treated you well," he spoke softly. Aeris grinned.  
  
"Forget me! How are you guys?!" Tifa had managed to escape from Cloud and ran over to Aeris, embracing her friend.  
  
"We're great! I haven't seen you people in so long! I've missed you so much!" Both girls jumped up and down in each other's arms. Cid shook his head.  
  
"Damn women. They better not start crying or nothing." Aeris laughed at his disgust.  
  
"Sorry Cid. We're just so happy to see each other again." Cid scoffed at her reply and went to inspect the damage to the Highwind. A high pitched voice came from inside the airship and an adorable little girl ran out giggling and laughing. A pissed off looking Red XIII leapt out after her.  
  
"Sarah!" he snarled, "get back here! Your mom's gonna kill me!" The girl ran directly into Tifa's arms and buried her face in Tifa's hair.  
  
"Sarah!" Tifa said scoldingly, "I told you to wait inside until I came to get you!" The girl looked up at Tifa innocently.  
  
"But mommy, me and Red are playing tag."  
  
"Mommy?" Cloud choked out, but no one heard his strangled comment. Tifa raised an eyebrow at Red.  
  
"Tag?" she asked, sceptically. Red shrugged and bared his teeth in a smile.  
  
"I wasn't aware of it." The girl giggled and continued to hide. She peered out and saw Sephiroth standing in the shadows, looking a little nervous, and her eyes widened. Struggling until Tifa put her down, she skipped over to him and clamboured up his leg until he awkwardly picked her up. Tifa's face went white when she saw who was standing there and she reached out towards the little girl.  
  
"Sarah, honey......" she said, her voice quivering with fear, "please come here. Don't go near that man! Come here now!" Vincent stepped forward and pointed his clawed hand at Sephiroth.  
  
"Put the child down," he spoke in a quiet, but dangerous voice. She had already climbed up onto Sephiroth's shoulders and she was playing with his hair, forming clumsy braids. Sephiroth threw his hands in the air helplessly.  
  
"I didn't invite her. She got up here on her own!" Aeris and Squall both came to his defence and Squall explained the whole situation. Vincent held the shaking Tifa who was trying to get over the shock of seeing her old enemy alive.  
  
"You have pretty hair," the girl giggled at Sephiroth, completely oblivious to the tense situation surrounding her. Vincent left Tifa and went to the giggling girl.  
  
"Come down Sarah," Vincent said in a caring tone, "come on. You're scaring mommy." With a leap the girl launched herself off of Sephiroth and into Vincent, who narrowly missed catching her.  
  
"Baby, did Cid give you candy again?" Vincent asked suspiciously. She just grinned happily and ran her fingers through Vincent's hair. (A/N: This kid seems to have a hair fetish. lol. I wonder where she could've got that from........ *eyes shift back and forth*) Tifa spoke up after a minute of everyone's confused silence.  
  
"Um, everybody? This is my daughter, Sarah. Tell them how old you are pumpkin." Sarah giggled shyly.  
  
"I'm three!" she smiled, holding up three fingers, "my birthday is in nine days! Daddy's gonna buy me a pony!" Vincent smirked at the happy girl.  
  
"Sorry, baby, but you might have to settle for a different pet." Sarah pouted, but still snuggled up to Vincent and laid her head on his chest. Cloud looked back and forth between Tifa and Vincent.  
  
"Um......so....what?! Huh? Clear this up for me. Tifa......you and Vincent?!" Tifa went over to Vincent and kissed him, then nuzzled her daughter's cheek.  
  
"That would be correct," she beamed happily. Cloud stood speechless and Aeris gasped.  
  
"Tifa! That's great! It's about time you got yourself a man." Tifa laughed and Vincent yawned suddenly.  
  
"Sorry," he smiled, "sarah was really excited about coming and she kept me awake all last night." Sarah grinned proudly. Cloud was staring in shock as everyone surrounded the two and congratulated them. Tifa blushed happily and Vincent seemed overwhelmed by all the attention.  
  
"How come we weren't invited to the wedding?" Aeris asked sadly.  
  
"It was a private wedding. We just did the whole legal junk in front of the judge and then went back to my bar," Tifa explained.  
  
"Back to your bar, eh?" Squall grinned. Rinoa smacked him playfully.  
  
"Leave them alone. Maybe some couples don't like broadcasting everything they've done to their friends," she said, giving him a look.  
  
Squall shrugged and smiled. "Well, why don't you all come inside and I'll give you a tour of Garden. I really appreciate you coming." Red growled his approval and followed Squall into Garden. The rest shortly followed as well and Cid continued inspecting his airship like it was an injured child.  
  
Sephiroth managed to sneak away from the large group and watched Cid from the shadows. Maybe the Highwind could be useful. After all, ruling the world would take a lot of work. He'd need decent transportation. An evil grin passed over his lips. They were all going to pay for the humiliation they had put him through.  
  
Squall was acting as a tour guide, explaining everything as they passed it and pointing out things of interest. Cloud was disgusted at the way Vincent and Tifa kept smiling at each other like that. He had assumed she'd stay single after he left. She'd said she couldn't live without him. Things had obviously changed since then. Glaring at the floor, Aeris tapped him lightly on the forehead.  
  
"No more sulking, sweety," she said with a smile, "I know you loved her. Just let her be happy." Cloud looked at Aeris with a mixture of shock and pain. How did she know that he wanted Tifa for himself? He had wanted both women, but chose Aeris because she was the most likely to find someone new. It was extremely selfish of him, but he felt that if he couldn't have Tifa and Aeris then no one else should either.  
  
"I love you, and only you," he lied to Aeris, kissing her neck softly. Aeris sighed, knowing the truth in her heart. She stuck by Cloud because she knew he loved her, even though someone else shared that love. She never let it bother her that his love was divided. It was the best she could ever get. She couldn't imagine anyone else loving her. She would never be worthy of a love devoted only to her. Maybe there was one other person........... Her mind drifted to thoughts of Sephiroth and she glanced around, wondering where her friend had gotten to.  
  
Squall wrapped up his speech and stood before the group with his arms wrapped lovingly around his wife's waist. "Well, that about wraps it up. Any questions?"  
  
Tifa smiled, "I think you answered questions I didn't even want to ask." Rinoa giggled at Squall's indignant look.  
  
Vincent spoke up quietly. "May I ask where we shall be staying?" Squall smacked his hand to his forehead.  
  
"How stupid of me," he grinned, "follow me. If you're lucky then there should be three empty rooms left. One for Tif and Vincent and one for Cid and Red. Hopefully we don't get too many more visitors or we're gonna run out of rooms." Aeris and Cloud stayed behind as Squall led the group over to the dorms.  
  
Aeris smiled slightly at Cloud's distressed form and touched his arm gently. "Cloud?"  
  
"I think I need a little time alone," he said, looking at the floor.  
  
Aeris felt hurt and tried not to show it. "A-all right....... I'll be outside if you need me. I'm going to go pick some flowers...." Cloud nodded and waved her away with a hand.  
  
Aeris sighed with a quivering breath, her shoulders slumping. She headed back to the front and leaned against one of Garden's outer walls watching Cid repair the Highwind. He waved at her and almost lost his balance. She giggled at his distress over losing his cigarette. His back was soon to her again as he welded bits and pieces back into place.  
  
Brushing back a loose strand of hair, she closed her eyes and felt the calming wave of peace that the planet sent through her mind. I have to have patience with him, she thought sadly. He'll be back to his normal self soon and I can pretend I'm the only woman in his life again. She yelped when a hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back into the shadows.  
  
Before she could scream a gentle hand covered her mouth and she looked up to see Sephiroth smiling down at her.  
  
"What are you doing out here?" he asked curiously, "shouldn't you be with the 'love of your life' or your friends?"  
  
Aeris shook her head sadly, "I just needed some time to think out a couple problems."  
  
"Perhaps I could be of service," Sephiroth offered. Aeris giggled at the thought of Sephiroth picking flowers with her and smirked at him.  
  
Her look worried him. "So you want to 'be of service'?" Sephiroth nodded slowly. "Well then come pick flowers with me," she grinned mischievously.  
  
His eyes twinkled with amusement and he bowed slightly to her. "My pleasure. Lead the way."  
  
Aeris smiled and grabbed his hand, surprising him. "Come on," she said, pulling him with her. His fingers intertwined with hers and he smiled smugly as he followed her quick paced walking to a field that was far off in the distance. Anything that would get them alone together was an event he was willing to do.  
  
Sephiroth watched the happy young woman dashing around to the different types of wildflowers that grew in abundance around the grassy field. She frowned in his direction, momentarily stopping her search.  
  
"Why aren't you picking any?" she asked, sounding disappointed. Sephiroth smiled and bent down, breaking off a dandelion.  
  
"How's this?"  
  
She smiled and came over to him. "Hmmmmm. I don't know. She plucked a magenta coloured flower from the bundle in her arms and tucked it behind Sephiroth's ear. "There. Beautiful."  
  
Sephiroth laughed, a sound that was strange and wonderfully new to Aeris' ears. She shoved him playfully and ran back into the flower covered area. She heard Sephiroth pursuing her and ducked down in the grass. When kneeling, it was tall enough to hide her. She heard him prowling around, searching for her.  
  
"Aeris?" he called out in amusement. The woman was gone. He focused on the field surrounding him and sensed her somewhere near the middle. His eyes snapped open and he took off at a run, tackling Aeris to the ground. She cried out in surprise when he knocked her over. She hadn't been expecting him to find her for quite awhile.  
  
Aeris laughed and propped herself up on her elbows. "No fair! You cheated somehow!"  
  
Sephiroth lay in the grass next to her and smirked. "You only say I cheated because I found where you were hiding. Perhaps next time you won't be so obvious and give away your location."  
  
"Well, excuse me! I could beat you at any fair contest," Aeris said, putting her hands on her hips and leaning over him. Sephiroth smiled pleasantly at her.  
  
"How is that any incentitive for me to be fair?" Aeris sighed and gazed at the sky above her. How could a day be so beautiful even when everything else was wrong? She felt a hand on her back and looked back down to Sephiroth. He was frowning at her.  
  
"You all right?" he asked watching her carefully. She nodded wordlessly, loving how Sephiroth was so worried about her. He was such a good friend. He had definitely changed.  
  
If I take her with me, I could start a whole new super race, Sephiroth smiled to himself. Kill off the weaklings and have a complete Cetra race. The perfect world. He turned his body slightly to the side, positioning himself closer to her. Would she ever fall for him? Maybe he just needed to pour on the charm. She's not very happy with Cloud at the moment. You could sense it. Maybe a more direct approach?  
  
Aeris gazed at the surrounding flowers with happiness. She loved nature. Strong arms suddenly pulled her down. "What the?!" she yelled as Sephiroth caught her in his arms before her head could connect with the ground. He grinned and leaned his face in close to hers.  
  
"It seems I've got myself quite a catch," he whispered, his face so close to hers that she could feel his breath on her cheek. Dear Gods, what's happening? she wondered to the planet. Sephiroth touched his lips to hers and kissed gently, waiting to see how she would react. A shiver coursed through her and she pulled away, a little afraid.  
  
"I'm sorry," Sephiroth smiled, smoothing her hair with his hand, "I just had to try." Aeris looked at his confused.  
  
"Try?"  
  
"I was seeing if you'd choose me over Strife. Apparently not." Aeris felt pain in her chest at the thought of Cloud. Why did he have to act like this? It was his fault she was sitting in the arms of this man. Making up her mind, Aeris wrapped her arms around Sephiroth's neck, pulling his face back to hers.  
  
He didn't waste any time either and responded just as eagerly. His tongue ran along her bottom lip and she opened her mouth, enjoying him fully. His leather scent was so rustic and different from the earth and plant smells she was used to. It was wonderful. She felt giddy and light headed as the two fell back in the grass, lip locked. Sephiroth began to move his kisses down her neck and along her neck line and she let his silvery hair fall through her fingertips as he came back to her swollen lips for more.  
  
Cloud sighed deeply and banged a fist against the hallway wall. Stupid Tifa. Going and getting married. Nothing ever went his way. With his luck Aeris would run off with some other guy and he'd be left all alone. If that ever happened he didn't know what he'd do. His rage boiled up inside of him at the thought of it. He'd skewer the guy who took her first of all and then probably kill off anything that stood in his way, just to release some anger and all that.  
  
He decided to find Aeris and apologize. He'd deal with Tifa later. He headed outdoors and looked around. She said something about picking flowers I believe, he thought to himself. "Hey Cid!" he yelled to the older man, "have you seen Aeris?"  
  
Cid shrugged, pointing to the number of screws he had in his mouth and pointed in the direction of a large field. Cloud yelled a thanks and started for the field.  
  
Red snuggled onto the soft bed that Squall had said he could use. He was completely beat. Babysitting for Tifa took a lot of energy. That Sarah was quite a handful. He began purring softly as he drifted off to sleep.  
  
Sarah snored softly from the bed next to her mom and dad's. Tifa was exhausted, but still grinned at Vincent when he climbed into bed, shirtless. "I thought we were going to bed?" she asked, smiling, "how am I supposed to sleep if I know there's a sexy shirtless man in my bed?" Vincent looked around.  
  
"If that problem arises, let me know." Tifa kissed him and leaned on his warm bare chest.  
  
"Good night," she sighed happily.  
  
"Good morning," he smiled and leaned his head to the side, kissing her shoulder since it was only thing he could reach. They snuggled against each other's warmth and Tifa pulled the blanket around them. Soon everyone in the room was alseep, annoying child and all.  
  
Cloud tromped through the grass, squinting against the bright coloured flowers. "Aeris?" he called, every now and then. He thought he could hear something over to his right and headed in that direction. Pulling apart a large wall of grass he gasped...............  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~  
  
Author: Mwahahahahahaha! Stupid Cloud! That's what you get for being a prick. lol. Yay! Sephiroth is loved!  
  
Sephiroth: Well yah. Who could resist me? ;)  
  
Ashley: Me  
  
Author: *glares and makes Ashley disappear* Shut up. Ignore her Sephiroth. She doesn't know what she's missing.  
  
Ashley: Not much. *smirks*  
  
Author: Hey! I thought I made you disappear!  
  
Ashley: *shrugs* Your author powers must be on the fritz.  
  
Sephiroth: We'll see about this resisting business! *lunges at Ashley and kisses her neck seductively*  
  
Ashley: *pushes him away* Um, would you mind not slobbering on my neck? And this is a new black fuzzy sweater!  
  
Sephiroth: *looks confused* So?  
  
Ashley: *pouts* I like my sweater. ^_^  
  
Author: All right! All right! That's quite enough! *waves wand frantically causing Ashley's sweater to turn into a pink frilly halter top and Sephiroth's black leather to turn into blue spandex* What the hell's wrong with this thing?! *yells at person who sold her magic author wand* Amanda! You said this was in perfect condition!  
  
Amanda: *shrugs* Yah, perfect condition for something that's been used for who knows how many years.  
  
Author: GRRRRRRRAARRRRRGHHH!!!!!!!  
  
Sephiroth: Repent, repent! Run and hide! Run and hide! *dives for cover*  
  
Ashley: *stares in shock at her now transformed favourite sweater* But I liked my sweater.... :(  
  
Amanda: *runs for her life*  
  
Author: *returns out of breath and snap wand over her knee* *everything returns to normal*  
  
Sephiroth: Oh thank God! That stuff was starting to ride up the you know where.  
  
Ashley: *shudders and then hugs herself* I love my sweater.  
  
Author: Anyway.............I hope people are still with us at this point in the author's notes. Hello? *looks around for readers and can't find any* Oh well. *sighs* I'll do my shpeal anyway. *clears throat* Thanks for reviewing, yadda yadda, please review more, yakity yak, lots of reviews, blah blah blah, I'll post when the next chapter is done, etc.  
  
Sephiroth: *huggles Author* I read your fics. I love you.  
  
Author: Yah yah, sure.  
  
Sephiroth: No! I really do!  
  
Author: *eyes go all big and glassy like in Sailor Moon anime* Really?  
  
Sephiroth: Really really (Yah! Shrek quote! :P)  
  
Author: Awwwwww *hugs Sephiroth*  
  
Sephiroth: *grins* Score! *slaps Author's ass and runs*  
  
Author: BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!! COME BACK HERE!!!!! *runs after him with a katana*  
  
Ashley: I like my sweater. *smiles and waves goodbye to readers* *puts on her headphones and listens to Belleville Rendezvous on her mini disk player*  
  
(The End. No really. :P Wait! No! I didn't mean it! I meant the end of the chapter, not the end of the story! Wait! Nooooooo! Please read the next chapter..................................................................... .............................^_^) 


	6. Ch6: Things get heated up

**NOTICE TO READERS: I'm very sorry that this fic hasn't been updated in a VERY VERY long time, but I still haven't gotten my A:/ drive fixed so I couldn't transfer my fic to a disk to a computer that has internet so I could update. What I finally did was print every page of my new chapters that I needed to update (which took an hour and a half to print 25 pages thanks to my stupid, slow old printer) and retype it on a computer that _has_ the internet. It was a big pain in the ass, but it was all for you guys. I hope you enjoy these chapters since my printer is now also out of ink. :P **

Author: ::looks around for any sign of readers:: Hellooooo? ::sighs:: I guess I've neglected this fic for so long that life in it has ceased to exist. ::shrugs:: Oh well. Might as well keep typing anyway, just in case. To any of you out there who actually managed to stay interested in this fic and are reading this chapter, THANK YOU! ::hands out wads of hundred dollar bills:: (It's only Canadian money so you'll get about a buck with the exchange rate. :P)

Ashlei: ::looks around surprised:: Wow! Would you look at that. She's actually updating this one. It must mean that the end of the world is coming soon. It's the apocalypse! I have so many things to do! I can't die before killing John and cloning kitties to help them take over the world and creating a national wear black day and-

Author: Wait a minute! Shut up! There is no apocalypse coming! I just got off of my lazy butt and typed another chapter.

Ashlei: ::looks disappointed:: Oh.

Author: But as long as you're here, do you want to do the disclaimer for me?

Ashlei: Meh. I guess so. If I have to.

Author: ::gestures to a fenced enclosure behind her:: If you do, you can have the young Auron clone we keep in the back yard.

Ashlei: IT'S A DEAL!!!

Author: Allrighty then, get cracking.

Ashlei: ::transforms into songstress and a microphone appears out of nowhere:: What can I do for you? What can I do for you? What can I do for you? I can't hear you. ::sings "Real Emotion" as Author starts to look pissed off::

Author: Um? The disclaimer?

Ashlei: ::stops singing and pouts:: No fair. You wouldn't tell Yuna to stop singing.

Author: Yah, and you're not Yuna so get on with it already!

Ashlei: Fine. Dumber then a Moogle ass does not own any of the characters in this story and she's annoying and won't let me sing so I don't think I'll give her a nice long disclaimer and she can rot in hell for all I care even if she does love kitties as well and the characters from FFVII are owned by Square-Enix. ::crosses her arms over her chest:: There, happy?

Author: Right…….

Ashlei: Bye now. ::grabs the Auron clone, swirls around and disappears in a cloud of music notes::

Author: Uh-huh…..sorry bout the technical difficulties guys. My crew is on holidays today so I'm trying to run the lights, sound system, lunch room, backdrop designing and all the other stuff by myself, along with the frigged up coffee machine.

Sephiroth: ::grabs author from behind and laughs evilly when she screams::

Author: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! YOU SCARD ME HALF TO DEATH! ::whacks him with a crowbar::

Sephiroth: Ow. Good thing I didn't do it twice.

Author: What?

Sephiroth: If I scared you "half to death" twice then you'd be dead, right?

Author: ?

Sephiroth: Never mind. ::rubs his head painfully:: I just came to tell you that the studio producer phoned and asked you to remember your commentary about the reviews you got. Also, Madonna scheduled me for a music video so I'm gonna be late for dinner tonight.

Author: Again? But you promised you'd get better so we'd have good habits going once the baby is born. ::pouts::

Sephiroth: ::sighs and kisses her cheek:: All right, all right. I won't be late, even if I have to leave before they're done the shoot. Later, love.

Author: ::sighs dreamily:: These author's notes sure have missed out on so much. I can't believe I'm married against my will and expecting. Ahhh, good old AshNat Productions fics. Anyway, back to business. Here's what I thought of your wonderful reviews:

Dreamboat Annie – Don't worry Chelsey. You may be insane but hopefully this update with help you regain what little sanity you had when we started. :P Cloud deserves to burn in hell and I hope he suffers a long and painful death at the hands of people he trusted. Lol. Poor Sephy. He's not allowed to touch little girls anymore. ;) No more kicking my story or I'll never update again! Wait……you probably don't care do you? ::shrugs:: Meh. Anyway, thank you for the long messed up random screwy review that I loved very much. ::huggles:: Enjoy the long awaited chapter!

Rayne B – You know, you're right. I guess Cloud didn't kick Sephiroth's ass immediately because he didn't want to look like an ass in front of Aeris and Tifa. Who knows, maybe he's waiting for a chance when they're both in a nice secluded area where no one can stop him…… Yay! Aeris and Sephiroth are getting it on! Hurrah! It's about damn time! Lol. But what if Cloud finds them?! Oh no! Aeris' world is about to get a lot more complicated! Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter and forgive me for taking so long to update. ::superhuggles:: Thanks for the delightful review and for bringing to my attention that there needs to be some serious butt kickage.

A Strange Psychotic Weirdo - ::raises an eyebrow:: I don't know whether to be insulted or complimented by the fact that you like my author notes and want more of them, but you haven't actually read the story yet…..lol. Oh well, glad you're enjoying my random insaneness and I hope you keep coming back for more.

Sadistic Shadow – Sorry that Squall is a little bit "cheerier" then he should be, but it's a little bit elaborated on in this chapter. I hope it makes more sense after you read this chapter (since I actually updated! WoOT!) I was hoping that people wouldn't mind the transition of Aeris' pairingness, but she might stay with Cloud in the end. You never know. ::huggles:: You're review was very kind and very insightful and I'm looking forward to future ones. :D

Mr. Flames – a little short for a review, but I guess I'll take what I can get. :P ::gasps:: YOU HIT SEPHIROTH!

Sephiroth: ::growls:: And I'm gonna kick his butt now!

You: Yipe! Yipe! Yipe! ::runs away::

Me: Well……anyway, thanks for the review and I'm happy that everyone seems to be liking the Sephiroth and Aeris snogging from the last chapter. Enjoy what's coming next and get ready for what will probably be ANOTHER cliffhanger! Mwhahahahahaha!

Noacat - ::eyes shift back and forth:: You're watching me, eh? Oh god, not another stalker! One's bad enough. ::peers out the windows and makes sure all the doors are locked:: lol. I can't guarantee that Sephiroth will stop being evil or that him and Aeris will keep liking their snogging escapades, but I'll try my best to keep you happy. ::huggles:: You're review was creepy and wonderful all at the same time. ;) Hope to see another one after this chapter.

Author: Now that that's out of the way, I invite all you readers to join me for an exclusive DDR party down in my basement! Let's go!

Readers: ::dance and sing wildly::

Author: Who wants to challenge the master of Dance Dance Revolution?! Does anyone dare?

Ricky Martin: I'll take you up on that.

Author: Awww crap, not the leather pants guy again. I thought I told security not to let him in!

(Outside and getting drunk)

Guard #1: Man, these parties rock dude! Chicks and underage drinking, what could be finer?

Guard #2: A high paying prestigious job, loving family and an awesome fifty thousand dollar car.

Guard #1: Okay, that's not what I meant.

Guard #2: This job sure does suck. I wish we got paid more then minimum wage. That author sure is a cheap ass.

Guard #1: Did you hear about that thing that's brown and sounds like a bell?

Guard #2: What?

Guard #1: Dung! Get it?! ::laughs hysterically::

Guard #2: ::sighs and goes to get another beer::

(Back in Author's DDR party)

Author: No way! I can't believe you came all the way from Australia just to come to my party!

Kangaroo: ???

Author: ::smiles at dancing readers:: Well, I'd say it's about time that we started this chapter! See you at the end and keep up with all those moving arrows!

THISISTHESTUPIDLINEDIVIDINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTES

This place is breathtakingly beautiful, Cloud thought to himself. No wonder Aeris came out here to pick flowers. Pushing back yet another tall patch of grass, Cloud frowned again. Nothing. He sighed heavily and slumped down in defeat. 'I shouldn't have treated Aeris like that. God I'm a dumbass. I can't even keep one woman, why am I so set on having two?' Pushing himself back to his feet, Cloud jammed his hands in his pockets sadly and slowly began the walk back to Garden. The sun was beginning to set so Aeris would have to come in soon anyway. He'd apologize then. Lately, it seemed like he was always doing something wrong. Cid gave him a small salute from the top of the Highwind and Cloud half-heartedly smiled back. Why was he always such a jerk?! He treated his wife like crap and pined after other women. No wonder she got upset with him so often. He sighed heavily and entered Garden. He was going to change. He had to change. His marriage depended on it.

Sephiroth could sense Cloud nearing them at one point and made a mental note to slaughter the little cretin if he interrupted them. He calmed and focused back on his prize again when Strife began heading back in the direction of Garden. Aeris suddenly pulled away, as though she had been burned. "I…….I have to go…..," she mumbled, her face turning bright red. Sephiroth watched, shocked, as she pulled away from him and jumped to her feet, quickly heading towards Garden. She could feel her face burning as she tried her best not to break into a run. What was she doing?! Kissing another man like that….. If Cloud ever found out he'd probably beat her for betraying him. He seemed to be that type. Overprotective and extremely jealous. Not to mention, he'd probably kill Sephiroth. Sephiroth called something out to her but she kept walking. Only a little further until she was back inside Garden and she could pretend this never happened. She had picked flowers and came back inside. Nothing more.

Sephiroth watched Aeris' retreat with confusion. She seemed to have had a change of heart part way through his plan to make her completely his. Not that he wouldn't have had the decency to find them a room and all. If she was his wife, she would know that his love had no bounds. His ego deflated slightly. Oh well. There would be other chances to win her away from that pansy of a man. And he was patient enough to wait.

He stood, smoothing down his hair and brushing grass and dirt from his leather uniform. It wouldn't be good to arouse suspicions of what had really been happening out in that grassy field. Better to be safe then sorry. The setting sun silhouetted him as he strode back at a steady pace to the Garden, pausing to wave at Cid on the way. Might as well be friendly. It couldn't do any harm. As he entered, he spotted Aeris in Cloud's arms, smiling fakely and nodding at what was probably another pathetic apology. Her eyes shifted to the side and locked with his for a moment before she glanced away and her cheeks went slightly red.

Cloud hugged Aeris tightly and kissed her cheek as he pulled back. "Thanks for understanding."

"It's all right sweety. For better or for worse, right?"

Could smiled at Aeris, loving her for her forgiving ways. It had taken a lot less apologizing then he thought to get her to forgive him. She seemed to be feeling guilty about something, the way her eyes were having troubles meeting his.

"Is something bothering you?" Cloud asked Aeris with concern. He didn't like the nervous way she glanced over at Sephiroth and then down at her feet.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired," she spoke quietly.

"I see," Cloud said thoughtfully, "then maybe it's time we got to bed." Aeris smiled slightly at the twinkle in her husband's eyes. Wrapping her arms around his neck in a seductive manner, Aeris pulled Cloud's face down to meet hers in a loving kiss. Sephiroth turned away in disgust and headed for his room. Blondes got all the breaks.

He spotted Squall relaxing with Rinoa on one of the numerous benches throughout the hallway and headed in that direction. "Squall," he called out, smiling pleasantly as the young man's head jerked towards him. Squall smiled in return and stood to greet his friend.

"What can I do for you, buddy?"

"Well, I was wondering……..if it wouldn't be any trouble; could I have my own room, or just get out of that horrible infirmary bed sometime soon? Like……..now for example?" Squall smiled and clapped a hand on Sephiroth's back.

"Of course! Follow me and we'll get you settled in with proper accommodations." Squall turned back to Rinoa for a moment. "I'll see you later, okay sweetheart?" Rinoa nodded and waved him away, smiling happily. She watched carefully as Cloud and Aeris seemed to make up and head for their room as well. Something wasn't right with Aeris though. The way she carried herself clearly said that something was wrong. Shaking off her silly suspicions, Rinoa decided that dinner seemed like a good idea and headed for the Cafeteria to check out what they had to munch on.

Squall glanced at Sephiroth every now and then as they walked down the hall towards the only available dorm. His silver haired friend seemed to be deep in thought over something. He found it best not to pry into other people's business. He couldn't even remember the good old days, before Rinoa had forced him to be open with everyone about his emotions. Hiding feelings was no longer an option for him. Letting someone else enjoy that luxury almost made him happy, knowing how much it sucks when everyone knows your business.

"Here we are," Squall sighed, managing a smile. The past few weeks had been very stressful on him. He felt like his forehead was splitting open with pain.

Sephiroth steeped into the threshold of the average sized dorm and nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad," he grinned at Squall, who looked like he just wanted to get out of there and go to bed. The poor guy looked exhausted. "But you look like you could use some rest. Go find that wife of yours and have a nice sleep."

Squall nodded and turned to leave. "Let me know if you need anything else," he added over his shoulder as he left the room. "You'll know where to find me." With a nod of his own, Sephiroth shut the door behind Squall and smiled at his surroundings. Time to get to work.

Squall went back to the bench where he had left Rinoa and sighed, yet again, when he saw that she was already gone. That woman had to have the shortest attention span he had ever seen. He smiled, knowing that _he_, at least, could keep her attention focused. Getting married was probably the only long time commitment she had ever or would ever make. A short, muscular young man was running laps around Garden again and almost collided with Squall on his way by.

"Watch it, Pete," Squall winked, "you never know what cute girl you might knock over." Pete blushed and shifted his feet in embarrassment.

"Sorry, Sir."

"Pay more attention to where you're going next time," Squall nodded, accepting his apology, "which reminds me. Have you seen my wife anywhere?"

Nodding eagerly, Pete pointed in the direction of the Cafeteria. "She went for dinner, Sir. She tried to scold me for running in the halls, but I explained that you let me because it's for my SeeD training."

"Thank you. Continue your training then," Squall smiled, patting the student's back.

"I will! Thank you, Sir!" Pete began his run again, seeming to take his speed up a notch. Shaking his head, Squall hurried to the Cafeteria and spotted Rinoa at a table with a group of girls. Holding in an annoyed groan, Squall as discreetly as possible walked over to Rinoa's seat and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. Glancing up from her taco salad in surprise, he face softened into a smile at the sight of Squall.

"What's up honey?" Rinoa asked brightly, drawing the attention of the rest of the females she had been eating with.

"Um…..I just……wanted….I mean, I'm heading upstairs now…….so whenever you're done dinner….." A red haired girl next to Rinoa started giggling and nudged Rinoa with her elbow.

"I think he needs you to perform some marital duties, Rin."

Squall felt his face turning red and cleared his throat awkwardly, wishing he could escape from this table of twittering females. He never understood why women loved to tease men so much. "I-I'm not feeling well," Squall stammered, "so I'm going to bed early. I just wanted you to know."

"All right," Rinoa grinned, "I'll check in on you soon." Squall turned to leave and the same girl who had commented earlier 'tsked' at him.

"Not even a goodbye kiss? Really Rinoa, you need to train him better." Feeling tired and frustrated, he spun around, pulled a surprised Rinoa from her seat and kissed her deeply. Rinoa melted into the kiss and a collective "awww" came from the surrounding women. Pulling back and smiling down at Rinoa, Squall caressed her cheek gently and then stepped back, bowing slightly.

"I shall await your return to me, my love." Smirking with satisfaction, he turned and left for his room. Rinoa half sat, half fell back onto her chair and sighed dreamily.

"Now I'm just envious," her red haired friend pouted, "Zell won't even give me the time of day. Let alone, give into people's teasing and kiss me."

"I'll have to have a talk with him," Rinoa smiled, pushing herself up from the table, "but for now, I think I'm ready for bed." Her friends shouted joking encouragements after her as she retreated from their table and headed after Squall.

Tifa jerked awake in Vincent's arms and looked around, disoriented. The room seemed like it was spinning as she climbed out of bed and staggered over to the bathroom. Kneeling down in front of the toilet, Tifa wretched and found most of her lunch coming back up again. Vincent caused her to jump slightly when he sat next to her, still blinking sleep out of his eyes and yawning. He gently held her hair back from her face while she continued to vomit. He used his other hand to gently rub her back until she as finished.

"I'll grab you some water," Vincent whispered, hoping not to wake their daughter. He went to the small fridge in the room, found a bottle of water for Tifa and went back to the bathroom with it. "Here. Drink some and spit it out to rinse the taste out of your mouth. I'll see if there's any aspirin in the cupboard." He rummaged around until he found what he was looking for. Leaning down to his wife, Vincent helped her take two of the pills and grabbed a cloth to clean her up.

"Wait here. I'm going to get a change of clothes for you. You seemed to have gotten some down the front of your pajamas." Tifa nodded weakly and watched her husband run about grabbing clothes and slinging a washcloth over his shoulder. "Any idea why you're getting sick now? Maybe an aftershock from air sickness on the Highwind?" Vincent wondered out loud as he wet the cloth and wiped Tifa's face and lips.

Tifa shook her head. "I think it might be like last time. I didn't feel sick until it was almost too late and I just had to run for the nearest bathroom." Vincent pulled off her pajama top and smiled mischievously as he handed Tifa a fresh shirt.

"Well, whatever it is, maybe you should get sick more often if it means I get to undress you like this." Tifa laughed softly at his unusual boldness and pulled the new shirt over her head.

"You don't understand though. I mean like _last time_." Vincent frowned and shrugged, still not getting it. Tifa sighed and gestured over to Sarah who was still asleep in her bed. Vincent's eyes lit up with understanding.

"Oh! Really? Do you think…….." He trailed off and looked at her with twinkling excited eyes. "But when? Sarah's always around. We haven't been having much alone time."

"A couple months ago," Tifa groaned, and took another drink of water, "Sarah had her first sleepover." Vincent nodded with a coy grin.

"I remember that night VERY well. As I recall it, you didn't even plan on sleeping at all until you were suddenly worried that your daughter might come home early and catch you doing naughty things with her father. You were crazy that night. I almost couldn't keep up with you."

Tifa smiled tiredly at the memory and leaned on Vincent's shoulder. "Did we use protection?" she mumbled, still hoping she could be wrong and it was just the flu.

Vincent smirked and kissed the top of Tifa's head. "Only if we remembered sometime before you savagely dragged me onto the bed and ripped my clothes off." Tifa blushed and tired, wobbly, to stand up.

"Well, whatever the case, I still feel gross. Maybe we should check with the doctor." Vincent nodded his agreement and scooped Tifa into his arms, exiting their room and carrying her over to the infirmary.

"I just hope things are open late around here," Vincent remarked down to Tifa, who was cradled comfortably in his arms. Tifa didn't say anything. It had been a while since she talked about the night of Sarah's sleepover and she realized how much she missed having just Vincent around. They hadn't had a single moment alone since that night. They'd have to make more time for each other when they got back. He possibility of why she was sick made her feel nervous and tingly and she concentrated on breathing in Vincent's calming scent.

The dark man peered into the infirmary door and relieved to find that the lights were still on. He lightly kicked the door and carried Tifa through. A woman in a lab coat glanced up at them when they entered the room.

"Can I help you?" she asked, glancing at Tifa and adjusting her glasses.

"Yes," Vincent nodded shyly, "my wife isn't feeling well and we think she may be……..well…….with child….. Could you check her out for me?"

"Bring her in here," the woman smiled, leading them into a small room with a bed under the window. Vincent sat Tifa on the bed and looked at the doctor expectantly. "I'll start with the basics," the doctor said, scribbling some notes, "I need her to go in the side bathroom and give me a urine sample and try these." She handed Tifa two pregnancy tests along with a small container and Tifa carefully took them from her fingers.

"Be back in a minute," she smiled nervously. Vincent stood awkwardly at the end of the bed and tried his best to look invisible while he waited for Tifa to finish. A few minutes later Tifa emerged, red eyes from crying and smiling.

"Are you crying?" Vincent asked with concern, stepping forward to hug her.

"Look," Tifa cried, showing both the doctor and Vincent the tests. Both were positive. Overcome with joy, Vincent let out an excited whoop and spun his wife around, before kissing her deeply. The woman smiled at the happy couple and nodded.

"I do believe you two are expecting now. Two tests aren't likely to be wrong. Congratulations!"

Tifa hugged her as well. "Thank you so much! I wanted to be sure before I got too excited! I'm gonna be a mommy……again!" She grabbed Vincent and they danced wildly around the room, causing the doctor to laugh.

"Don't shake the baby around too much. It would be best if you both went back to bed and got some sleep," the doctor smiled, shaking a finger at them.

"I'll get her back there, on the double," Vincent saluted and scooped up Tifa again.

"Bring her in tomorrow and I'll do some ultrasounds to check on the baby's development," the doctor called as the couple left the room.

"I will! Thank you again!" Vincent spoke over his shoulder and Tifa waved goodnight as they headed back to their room. They almost didn't make it back to the room before Tifa got sick again. Vincent took care of her until she stopped. Laying weakly against Vincent, Tifa pleaded quietly until he took her to their bed and tucked her in.

"Try and get some sleep," Vincent smiled, climbing in bed next to her. Tifa nodded and tried to ignore her queasy stomach. It didn't take long before all was quiet again in their room.

Sephiroth continued sketching out some plans on a lined piece of paper. These suckers would never know what hit them. As he listed the many things he would like to accomplish such as world domination, killing Cloud, kidnapping Squall and threatening to kill him if they didn't hand over control of Garden, and perhaps raising a golden chocobo, he couldn't help but think of Aeris. What was it about that woman that allured him so? She was constantly in his thoughts and dreams and everything else he did. It was like 24/7 "Aeris broadcast".

Throwing his pen down in frustration, he leaned his forehead on his palms and wondered what he was going to. It was hard enough to plan world domination without his thoughts continually straying to a certain beauty's lips and hair and eyes and curves……. He certainly wouldn't mind dominating her as well, but he had to stick to his original plans. World first. Aeris second. A longing moan escaped his lips as he slumped against the top of the desk. Why was it so tormenting to be away from her? He had to think with his head not his manhood. Growling angrily, he sat up and snatched the piece of paper he had been writing on, tearing it apart in a few quick motions. Being human sucked.

Aeris lay next to Cloud, staring at the ceiling. Her husband was happy again and sleeping deeply, drooling on the pillow. Cloud had an arm draped over her bare waist and mumbled incoherent things every now and then. She wondered what would've happened if she had stayed out in that field with Sephiroth. A twinge of guilt ate at her conscience when she thought of how she would've felt if Sephiroth had just up and left in the middle of……._that_. But what was she supposed to say to him? "Sorry I stopped making out with you, but I had sudden attack of conscience and decided to see my husband instead."? Seriously, how stupid would that sound.

Sighing, Aeris slid of the bed and pulled on a blue cloth robe, stepping into her slipping at the same time. She wondered if they would ever actually leave this place. Cloud seemed pretty content to stay right where they were. The chilly air bit at her exposed skin and she shivered against the cold. A familiar figure was heading in Aeris' direction as she walked towards the infirmary, still not sure exactly what she was doing out like this. "Aeris?" a surprised voice asked, as the person neared her.

"Sephiroth?" she asked, equally surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same," he smirked, "but I was just coming to see you. I mean, to see if you were still awake. I wanted to make sure you were all right and……well…..sort out some things."

"I'm fine now. I was actually coming to speak with you as well." Sephiroth's green yes scanned hers curiously and he took a step towards her.

"About what, if you don't mind me asking?"

Aeris blushed under his intense gaze and looked away. "I wanted to apologize for earlier. With the whole…..you know…..me running…and……well, _I_ would've felt horrible if the situation had been reversed."

"You don't have to be sorry," Sephiroth smiled, gently pulling her chin up so she would look at him. "Only be sorry if you didn't want to do what you did." Aeris blinked, unsure of how to reply. He could feel her quivering under his touch and was painfully aware that all that stood between him and what he wanted was a thin robe. "You wanted to though, didn't you?" he asked softly.

"I……." Aeris trailed off, getting lost in his eyes, "I….did…..I guess…….I just……..it's not that easy."

"Sure it is," he commented with a genuine smile, "sometimes your heart chooses for you." Was this crap really coming out of his mouth? Shaking his head slightly, Sephiroth remembered that Aeris liked that romantic tripe anyway.

"What are you saying?" Aeris inquired, not really sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"Let's find somewhere warmer to talk," he said, avoiding her question and taking her hand in his, "I can see that you're freezing to death." _And I actually care_, he laughed to himself, _how bout that?_ Nodding slowly, Aeris allowed him to lead her to a dorm room that still had its lights on. "Squall gave me a room," Sephiroth explained, noticing her puzzled look.

They went inside and Aeris looked around the room that was creepishly almost identical to hers. "It looks like mine," she noted out loud, trying to rid herself of the nervous butterflies in her stomach.

"They _are_ dorms. I think they're supposed to look like that."

"Shut up," Aeris laughed, sticking her tongue out at the silver-haired man, who was currently leaning back on the bed propped up by his elbows. "So……," she trailed off nervously. Sitting next to Sephiroth, she let herself fall back onto the mattress and her long hair spilled around her. "What did you need to talk about?" Shifting so he was on his side facing Aeris, Sephiroth studied her for a moment. Her eyes slowly closed when he began running his free hand through her flowing locks.

Why couldn't she just tell him to stop? Why was it so hard for her to say no? She had never had this problem before with anyone she could remember, except maybe Cloud. But even _he_ didn't appeal to her in the same way that he used to. "Sephiroth……..?" she breathed, not opening her eyes.

"……………yes?"

The silence was deafening as he waited for her reply. He hoped to God that she couldn't feel his fingers trembling as he brushed them through her hair. Why was she taking so long to answer?! Did she not know that she drove him to the point of insanity?! Every gentle melodic word she spoke urged him closer to ripping off her robe and taking her, willing or not. Playing games with his mind wasn't going to make him very happy and he didn't want to force answers out of her. He was so wrapped in his thoughts that he almost didn't hear her quiet reply.

"Kiss me."

THISISTHESTUPIDLINEDIVIDINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTES

Author: Seeing as this is the end and I need to get typing, yet again, for other chapters I shall bid you all farewell and thank you in advance for reviewing! ::huggles:: See you next chapter! :D


	7. Ch7: I felt uncreative

Author; :sighs and drops her five hundred pound backpack on the ground: Man, oh man, is my workload heavy this semester. It's utter insanity. I'm not really feeling that great and that doesn't help much either. I hope some of you out there are still reading this and that I'm not just talking to myself. Lol. :looks around: Wait. I am just talking to myself. Dammit!

Sephiroth; :points and laughs:

Author; :pulls out her author wand and yaps him into a cookie :takes a bite:

Cookie Sephiroth: OW!

Author: Mmmmm. Platinum hair flavored….. :drools: Ahem. Thanks to everyone who is still reading this and I want you guys to know how much I truly appreciate your reviews. Even though I tell you that like every chapter, it's really true. :throws out free 'I love fanfiction' t-shirts to all readers: Here's what I thought of the stupendous reviews I received.

Rayne B – yay! Ass kicking! I agree. There should be more Cloud getting his butt kicked by Sephiroth, but just because I agree doesn't mean that it will happen. ;) Sephiroth is a million times more man then Cloud and he could whoop Cloud's butt any day. :huggles and chocolate for you: Thanks for your continuous wonderful reviews! I really appreciate all the love and support. Enjoy the chapter and I'll try to make your ass kicking dream come true. (No promises. :P)

Ezri-Candy – I don't think Tifa is very happy about you always cuddling her Vincent. And he's going to make such a cute daddy. Wait, I guess he already is a cute daddy. They're just going to have another one. Awww. Little Vincents and Tifas! Heehee! So cute! My A/ drive still isn't fixed but I've solved the problem by writing the chapter down on paper and typing it on other people's computer (like my bro's). :superhuggles: Thanks for being so awesome and always leaving such nice reviews. I probably wouldn't even continue my fics if it weren't for you and two or three other dedicated reviewers. Maybe your wish for Sephy to get Aeris might even come true…….. ;) Thanks again for the fantastic review and I'll see you next chapter!

Mr. Flames – DO NOT EVER COMPARE MY WRITING TO LORD OF THE RINGS! Begone heathen. I shall never speak to you again. :her manager runs in and whispers in her ear: Oh. Really? Damn. :manager runs out: My manager has just informed me that I don't have many reviewers for this fic as it is and if I scare any more away it could be devastating to my writing career. So yah, sorry and yadda yadda yadda.

Sephiroth; :grins: Don't worry love, I'll take care of him :chases Mr. Flames out of the fic:

Well………um……..bye?

Author: Anywho, thanks everyone for the reviews and sorry for the slow update. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Hi ho, hi ho, it's on to the fic we go!

**THISISTHESTUPIDLINESEPARATINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTES**

Sephiroth awoke to the soft sound of Aeris' breathing. He ran a gentle hand down her soft cheek and smiled at her sleeping form. Remembering the night before, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged gently. They had talked long into the night, sharing things about themselves, Aeris discreetly trying to con him into saying or doing things he shouldn't. He hadn't kissed her, much to Aeris' and his own dismay, and now that he was caught in a sleepy haze he regretted it a lot more then he had the previous evening.

His gaze fell to her full lucious lips and a shiver went through his entire body. "Get a hold of yourself, Seraph," he growled at himself, "you can't just pounce on her while she's sleeping." Sephiroth shifted closer to the woman who consumed his mind and filled his every thought and studied her carefully. Why was he so powerless against a single frail female? He could easily destroy her and be done with it...and yet...there was something about her...

Moving his face ever-so-slowly down towards hers, a knock at the door caused him to jump and then tense as to not wake Aeris. The retired general grumbled to himself as he climbed out of bed and pulled the covers up until they hid Aeris from view. Stumbling quickly over to the door, Sephiroth un-clicked the lock and pulled it open, blinking sleepily at Squall. "Um, good morning?"

Squall grinned and leaned on the doorframe casually. As he opened his mouth to speak, a sound came from inside the room and both men looked at the bed. Sephiroth's eyes widened when he saw Aeris' form roll over under the covers. "Who's that?" Squall asked suspiciously, "you're not sleeping with the students are you?"

"No! of course not!" Sephiroth exclaimed, looking insulted.

"Then who's in your bed?" Squall asked again.

"She's...an old friend," Sephiroth said slowly.

"Were you guys together yesterday?"

"Well...," Sephiroth stalled, "we kind of met up last night because she wanted to talk about some issues we've been having, problems with our relationship and stuff. One thing led to another and she ended up spending the night." Squall's grin widened and he elbowed Sephiroth's side with a suggestive wink.

"So, do I know her?"

Sephiroth paled and something he could say to end this dangerous subject. "So what did you come and see me about?"

"Oh, yah," Squall nodded, facing Sephiroth again, "I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night. Rinoa thinks I was grumpy and rude so I have to find everyone I talked to last night and say sorry." He rolled his eyes. "And if I don't, she'll find out somehow and hunt me down."

"Don't worry about it," Sephiroth said, waving it away with a hand, "you shouldn't have even bothered apologizing. But that woman of yours does scare me a little."

Squall laughed and looked around quickly like someone might be watching him at this very moment. "Anyway, I should get going before I'm caught loitering. Later." Sighing in relief as Squall walked away, Sephiroth relaxed against the smooth wooden doorframe. He was surprised Squall hadn't asked him how his "friend" got onto Garden since it had been moving all of yesterday. He had to get Aeris back soon or someone might catch them together and assume things.

"Sephiroth?" a sleepy voice called to him. He felt Aeris' eyes on him and turned to go back into the room.

"Coming."

Locking the door again and slowly moving back over to Aeris, he sat beside her on the bed, feeling the springs depress beneath him. "Good morning."

"What time is it?" she groaned, rolling onto her side.

"Time for you to get back to your room before we're caught." She smiled and tugged on his arm, pulling him off balance. He fell face down on the bed and glowered up at her.

"You're awfully spineless today," Aeris smirked, "afraid of a little danger?" Grunting in reply, he pushed himself up again and indulged in a smile. She sure was persistent.

"I'm going to have a shower," he said firmly, "and when I come out, you'd better be where you belong." Her gaze followed him into the bathroom and he shut the door, leaning against it weakly. It was all he could do to keep from dragging her off the bed and having his way with her. The teasing didn't help much either. Turning on the water, Sephiroth shed his clothes and stepped into the shower. The warm, soothing water relaxed his muscles and cleared his mind.

Why did it matter so much to him that Aeris and Cloud were married? That would've never stopped him in the past. If a willing woman came to his door, he almost always accepted. Even generals had sexual tension. Of course, when his clone had gone psycho and killed everything in its path, the steady stream of women had mostly stopped.

He finished washing his hair and rinsed himself clean, turning the water off again. Sephiroth toweled his wet hair until it was only damp and wrapped a towel around his waist. He sighed and went to grab a clean outfit, glad Squall had lent him a bunch of clothes.

Aeris appeared to be gone, but he secretly wished she had stayed. He dropped the towel and pulled on a pair of snug, black pants, jumping when arms snaked around his waist. He turned to find Aeris, who ran her hands along the soft, clean skin of his well-toned stomach, smiling up at him.

"I thought I told you to go where you belong," he frowned scoldingly.

"I am where I belong," she whispered, leaning her head on his chest. The intercom buzzed to life suddenly and Squall's voice boomed through Garden.

"Everyone, this is Squall speaking. We're going to be stopping for a couple days at Fisherman's Horizon to refuel and sort out some business with our new guests. Students have the day off to enjoy the sights. Avalanche members, please report to my office. That is all." As the room became silent again, Sephiroth looked down at Aeris, his mind a turmoil of emotions.

"What about Cloud?" he asked gently, smoothing back some of Aeris' crazy bed-hair.

"He's pretty preoccupied," she sighed bitterly, "and I'm sick of all his excuses. Just take me away somewhere, or something. Please, let's spend the day together and forget that everyone else exists." Her green eyes were weakening him and he was helpless against her power.

"All right," he agreed slowly, "let's go."

:-

Cloud paced back and forth worriedly, not really listening to the discussion going on around him. When he had woken up, Aeris was gone. No note, nothing. She still hadn't returned and he didn't have any idea where to start looking for her.

"Calm down," Squall's voice broke through his thoughts, "I'm sure she's fine."

Sitting down at last, Cloud nodded and tried to focus. "Sorry. You're right. I'm being stupid. She's probably just going to see the town with the students. She wanted to get an early start. Yah……" He ran a hand through his spiked hair and smiled forcedly up at Squall.

"Okay," he nodded, relieved that Cloud was finally chilling out, "back to business." Vincent, Cid, and Tifa were seated around the room, Tifa looking slightly ill. From what he'd heard, Red XIII was downstairs somewhere watching Sarah. "So have you come to a decision about how much Avalanche is willing to donate to Garden?"

Cid cleared his throat and took a sip of tea. "Yah. We figured since we've got gil coming out our-"

"Cid," Vincent warned, shooting him a look.

Cid rolled his eyes and continued. "Since we have so much gil that we don't know what to do with it, we could give you a couple hundred thousand to start with."

Squall stared in shock at the small group for a moment and then leapt out of his seat, crushing Cid with a tight hug and moving to Vincent and Tifa afterwards.

"Can't breathe," Tifa wheezed, causing Squall to laugh and release her.

"Thank you so much, everyone!" he beamed tearfully, "you have no idea how much you're truly helping us."

"I'll accept your thanks when you stop blubbering all over me," Cid commented, smiling. Lastly, Squall hugged Cloud, squeezing his friend's arm in thanks for everything he'd done.

"Sir!" a SeeD cried, bursting into the room.

Squall's smile disappeared as he straightened and saw the panicked look on the young woman's face. "What's wrong?"

"Seifer is in the town!" she said, wide-eyed, "he told me to deliver a message to you!"

"What! Seifer!" Squall grabbed the student by the shoulders and shook them urgently. "Well? What did he say!" The girl's wide eyes blinked a couple times before she answered.

"Um…..he said, 'tell Squall it's not what he thinks. I'm in control now, not Ultemicia. Ask him if he'll meet me in private so we can talk. I'll be at the harbour tonight at eight thirty.' Then he placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to ease my fear, I guess, and he left."

"Is that all?" Squall asked carefully, "you're positive that's exactly what he said?"

"Pretty positive," she said slowly, looking at him nervously, "you aren't going to go all alone at night are you, Sir?"

"He most certainly is not," Rinoa spoke from the doorway, "now what's all this panic about?"

"Seifer's back," Squall said quietly, watching her for a reaction.

Rinoa frowned and took a step away from him. "What?" Her eyes darkened and she shook her head. "No. You're lying."

"Rinoa," he whispered gently, "it's okay. Come here." She turned and ran out of the room, not wanting to believe Squall's words. Seifer had hurt her enough already and she didn't need anymore pain from her ex-boyfriend. Squall started after her and Cloud put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Wait a while Squall. This is probably going to be hard for her. Let her have some time to herself to figure things out."

"You're right," Squall nodded, "we need to decide how to handle this situation before we act." He paused and turned to the SeeD who was standing beside him still, waiting for orders. "You're dismissed young lady. Good work."

"Thank you, Sir," she nodded, quickly exiting the room.

Squall turned back to his friends to discuss the plan. "I'll need a backup team hidden close nearby tonight in case anything does wrong."

"We're with you all the way," Tifa promised, making a fist.

Squall smiled gratefully. "Just make sure you're in the harbour by eight. I'll handle everything else."

:-

Aeris radiated excitement as they walked down the street. SeeDs and people from Fisherman's Horizon bustled all around them, heading in and out of shops and enjoying the pleasant weather. Rumors of a concert in the evening were going around and everyone was getting prepared for the unusual event.

"Oh! Over there! Let's go in that shop!" Aeris exclaimed, waiting for Sephiroth impatiently as they headed into the Antique shop. She was immediately drawn to a crystal display that looked similar to un-processed material. While Aeris scrutinized each of the beautiful crystals, Sephiroth strolled casually around the shop, stopping every once in awhile when some caught his interest.

On his way back to the front, he noticed an elegant hairpiece sitting on the counter. "How much is this?" he asked the storeowner, picking up the delicate item. The man didn't answer and Sephiroth looked up to find him shaking fearfully and backing away from the counter. "Look," Sephiroth said in annoyance, "I'm not going to kill you. I just want to know how much this barrette thing is."

"P-Please, take it," the man stuttered, reaching far enough to push the item across the counter. Giving up, Sephiroth placed two hundred gil on the counter and took the hairpiece carefully. The beautifully carved flowers would look lovely in Aeris' hair. He tucked it into his long jacket and went back to where Aeris was still examining the gems.

"Ready to go?"

She seemed startled at the sound of his voice and spun around, holding a hand to her heart. "You scared me," she breathed, frowning and taking a couple calming breaths.

"Now who's spineless?" Sephiroth smirked.

Her frown melted into an amused smile and she turned back to the gems, selecting an almost clear on and starting for the front counter. "I'm going to pay for this and then we can go. I know you're probably bored out of your mind."

Sephiroth was about to protest, but she had already hurried over to the still shaking owner, and he let his eyes drift over her curvaceous figure as she moved. She came back carrying a small paper package and smiled again as she linked her arm in his.

"Hungry?" he asked, finding it hard to ignore the rumbling in his own stomach.

"Starved," she nodded, "I was just about to ask you the same thing. And I'm feeling a tad faint from lack of breakfast. Hold me." Her mischievous smile did not go unnoticed.

Rolling his eyes, Sephiroth led her out of the store. They went to a small restaurant that over-looked the water and both ordered the lunch buffet that looked particularly appetizing. Once they were happily munching, Aeris glanced up from her food and watched Sephiroth eat, studying him intently. Although he seemed unaware of her scrutinizing stare, his shoulders were tense and he was frowning as he chewed.

"How late were you planning on staying?" Aeris asked quietly, hoping she wasn't the reason he was upset.

His eyes shifted up towards her and he shrugged. "As long as you'd like to. I'm only in it for the company of a beautiful woman." Aeris blushed and looked back down at her plate. "Would you be interested in seeing the concert that the town seems to be buzzing about?" he asked casually, sticking another forkful of food in his mouth.

Nodding silently, Aeris ate the rest of her meal quickly and looked out the window while Sephiroth finished his.

"I didn't mean to cause you embarrassment," Sephiroth apologized softly, "I just assumed that you hear similar compliments from Cloud all the time." She winced at the name and he mentally kicked himself for bringing up that pansy.

"I'm not embarrassed," Aeris protested, turning an even deeper shade of red.

He smiled and ran a finger down her soft cheek. "So I see."

"Would the happy couple like to see a dessert menu?" a voice asked to the side of them.

Sephiroth jerked his hand away from Aeris, nodding at the man to hide his own embarrassment. "Y-Yes, please." After they decided on the chocolate cake and the waiter left to fulfil their order, Aeris gently placed a hand over Sephiroth's.

"He's right, you know," she agreed softly, "you do make me happy." She seemed to get a little flustered and began talking faster. "I mean, it's not like I'm really, you know, well maybe you don't, but I know it's strange and that you shouldn't make me happy, but you do. Right?"

Sephiroth smiled and leaned forward to kiss her when a slab of chocolate cake was placed between them, blocking the way. "Thank you," he growled, shooing the man away.

"We need to work on your people skills," Aeris remarked, starting in on the cake.

"My people skills are fine," he grumbled, "if they have a problem with me then I'll introduce them to my sword." Giggling, Aeris ate another bite of cake to muffle her laughter. "You know what I meant," he growled, grabbing a fork and stabbing at the cake.

"Aww, don't be grumpy," she teased, waving a forkful of chocolate cake in front of his lips. He tried to turn his face away and only succeeded in smearing chocolate icing across his cheek. "Sorry," she apologized, grinning and jumping up to wipe his face with a napkin.

While she was distracted with cleaning him, he dipped his fingers into the icing and smeared it across her lips and face, finishing with a dot on her nose. "Y-you……….," she spluttered, staring at him in shock.

"Sorry," he smirked.

Aeris tried to wipe her face with the same napkin and got more icing on her chin and clean cheek. "Ugh, what a mess," she groaned, wiping her hands clean, "look what you've done."

"Here," he gestured, still smirking, "let me help you." Dipping a fresh napkin into his glass of water, he carefully began wiping the chocolate smear from her face. Her eyes closed as Sephiroth's touch moved down her cheek. She knew she shouldn't be so attracted to him, but she just couldn't help it.

When he stopped, Aeris opened her eyes and frowned at Sephiroth's strange expression. "What? What is it? Is it gone?"

"There's a bit left," he said quietly.

"Where?" she frowned, trying to see her face, "is it noticeable?"

"I'll get it." He leaned close again and kissed her tenderly, running his tongue along her chocolate covered lips. He stopped as suddenly as he had started and gazed at Aeris with a hint of a smile. "There. I think I got it all."

"O-Oh……thank you…..," she stammered, blushing. The rest of the cake was eaten in silence and Sephiroth followed their waiter up to the front to pay their bill. Leaving a tip on the table, Aeris went up near the front door to wait for him to finish up. After grabbing the receipt, Sephiroth took a deep breath and went over to his waiting woman. Her eyes shifted up to meet his when he stopped in front of her and he could see a warmth shining in their depths, causing a smile to creep onto his lips.

"Where to now?"

She tore her eyes away from his hypnotic stare and shrugged slightly. "I'd just like to wander for a bit."

"All right," he nodded, holding the door for her. They squeezed through the people on the boardwalk, going against the flow of traffic on purpose, to reach the quiet section of town. There wasn't much to see, but they finally settled down on the wooden pier where boats were loading up with cargo.

Aeris dangled her legs off the edge, letting them swing slowly in the air, and glanced sideways at Sephiroth's thoughtful expression. She wasn't really sure how to act now. Since he had kissed her so wonderfully in the café, her stomach was all fluttery and it was easier to stare out over the water then to try and make any sense of it. She could feel her pulse quicken as he slid closer and placed his hand over hers. As their fingers intertwined, he leaned forward so he could see her face.

"Are you just going to pretend I didn't kiss you again?" he asked, sounding slightly hurt, "or was I right in thinking you enjoyed it?"

"I………," she trailed off, stunned by is boldness. A gust of wind blew his silvery locks over his face, masking it in a shimmery blanket. She knew she was hurting him by continuing to lead him on, acting as if she wanting nothing more then him and then not allowing him to show the same affections. Her husband was faithful enough and she didn't know if she had the guts to betray _his_ trust.

Sephiroth brushed back his wild hair and gave Aeris' hand a squeeze to encourage her to speak her mind.

"Can't we just….," she began, "I mean, if we……" She bit her lip, trying to think of the right words, willing them to come, but her mind was too jumbled to organize a single train of thought.

He watched her stumble over her words, fighting for the right thing to say, with understanding eyes. She brought out a gentle side in him, as much as it sickened him to admit it; he was apparently a hopeless romantic where Aeris was involved. Her hand pulled out of his and went to his cheek, turning his chin a bit so she could look into his eyes. He realized then that he wasn't just a hopeless romantic.

He was hopelessly in love with her.

She stare uncertainly into his affectionate gaze, realizing he was looking at her the way Cloud used to before they were married. Now that look was reserved for special occasions. It made her heart swell to be so close to someone who could smile down at her like that unashamedly. "Sephiroth…..," she whispered, trailing her fingers through his hair wistfully. He waited silently for her to continue what she had been saying, until she finally close the distance between them and hesitantly kissed his soft lips.

Their mouths moved against each other gently, almost carefully, and Sephiroth wrapped his arms around Aeris' waist, pulling her in closer. Eventually breaking apart a few moments later, Sephiroth kissed her forehead and pulled her into a hug. It relieved him immensely that she could finally let him kiss her without that haunted look in her eyes.

Aeris could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest, almost faster then hers. Was it possible that she wasn't just another challenge for him? That she actually meant something more?

"If this is the result, we should get out more often," Sephiroth murmured, letting her go again.

"I agree," she smiled in return.

"Hey, you two!" a high pitched voice squealed excitedly. They both turned to face the source of their intrusion and saw Selphie running over with Irvine trailing behind. "Aeris!" she cried, throwing her arms around the surprised woman, "I haven't seen you in ages! I saw your man not too long ago. I guess you came to straighten him out, huh?" She paused to catch her breath and glanced at Sephiroth. "So what are you and 'tall, dark, and handsome' doing in Fisherman's Horizon?"

Irvine finally caught up to them and bent down to give Aeris a hug as well. "Sorry I didn't squeal and run over too," he grinned, wrapping his arms around Selphie and propping his chin on her shoulder, "she gets mad when I act like a ditz too." Selphie stepped down hard on one of his feet and he winced noticeably, biting back tears.

Aeris smiled and shook her head. "Well, I don't know where you two have been, but today Garden is being refueled and it's a free day for the students. I figured I might as well relax and do some sightseeing."

"And who's he?" Irvine asked, gesturing to Sephiroth.

"Remember?" Selphie said impatiently, "Squall was trying to keep him a secret in the infirmary for a while until he was feeling better. Then we headed off on our mission so you never really got a chance to meet him."

Irvine rolled his eyes. "Of course. How could I ever forget a guy I never really met." He held out his hand to Sephiroth, who had just stood, following Aeris' lead. "Name's Irvine," he smiled, shaking Sephiroth's hand.

"Sephiroth," the tall man nodded back. Irvine studied Sephiroth for a moment and then pulled Selphie up beside himself.

"Oh, and this is my fiancé, Selphie. She's a little high strung so watch yourself."

"We've met, stupid," Selphie laughed, kissing Irvine.

"Fiancé?" Aeris asked, surprised.

"For two weeks now," Irvine nodded, "she finally beat me into submission."

"Oh, whatever," Selphie smiled, slipping an arm around his waist and checking her watch. "Shoot. We'd better check in with Squall and catch you guys later. See ya Aeris, Sephy." Selphie winked at Aeris and pulled Irvine away with her.

"Well………..," Sephiroth trailed off, staring after the couple, "that was the shortest, most one-sided conversation I've ever had."

Laughing, Aeris plopped back into her spot. "That's Selphie for you. That girl could talk anything to death."

"I just pray that no one ever gives her caffeine," Sephiroth sat again beside Aeris, grinning, then changed his mind, laying back to stare up at the sky. She laid her head on his chest and nuzzled under his chin, wishing she had seen him in this light sooner. They seemed doomed to be star-crossed lovers, neither willing to give up what they already had.

Would she be able to give up Cloud if he asked her to?

They talked quietly, content in each other's arms, until the sun began to set and the air cooled. Crimson sunlight poured over the two as they enjoyed the momentary comfortable silence. Sephiroth stopped running his hand along her soft hair and pushed himself up, pulling her with him. His sensitive hearing had picked up music playing near the center of town.

"Ready for the concert?" he asked her, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

Aeris smiled mischievously. "Only if you'll dance with me."

Taking her hand, he spun her gracefully and pulled her back in against his body. "Let's go," he smiled at her blushing face, "I'll see if you can keep up with me."

:-

Squall waited impatiently, glancing at his watch every few minutes. It was already a quarter after eight and there was no sign of Seifer. He was sure that his old enemy would show up early so he could be waiting for Squall. For some reason, it made him uneasy that Seifer might show up on time. That just wasn't his style. He liked to be five steps ahead of everyone else.

Soft laughter to his right startled him and he spun on that direction, gripping his gunblade so tightly that his knuckles were white. Seifer dropped down in front of him, pushing the gunblade aside with his own and fixing a smug look on his face.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, old buddy, but I had to make sure none of your little followers were waiting to ambush me."

"Why are you here?" Squall growled, not lowering his weapon. Seifer raised his hands in surrender and put his weapon on the ground behind him.

"I just came to talk. Keep your pants on. Didn't your SeeD give you the message? I told her that no one's controlling me anymore. You guys destroyed the Sorceress. I'm not gonna go psycho on you."

"I'm not so sure about that," Squall spoke slowly.

"You don't understand," Seifer protested, "I've just been wandering around, getting into trouble and not knowing who to turn to. I realized that I miss you guys. I miss Garden. I am human you know. Rajin and Fujin are tired too. Couldn't you use some experienced fighters? Couldn't we come back?"

"WHAT!" Squall exclaimed, running his free hand through his dark locks, "you want me to let you _live_ at Garden! After what you put people through? After what you put _Rinoa_ through?"

Seifer sighed in frustration and frowned. "I'm not saying what I did in the past was right. I'm just asking you for another chance." Squall shook his head in disgust and turned to leave, but Seifer blocked the way and grabbed his arm desperately. "Please, Squall. Have you ever heard me ask for anything? I've tried everything else. Don't turn me away."

"Let me think about it," he sighed, still not letting down his guard.

"I'll contact you again soon for your answer," Seifer nodded, releasing Squall. He reclaimed his weapon and disappeared into the fading twilight.

Letting out the breath he didn't even realize he had been holding, Squall slumped angrily to the ground. Did Seifer honestly believe he would let him anywhere near Garden? He fingered his wedding ring thoughtfully and sighed again. He definitely needed to consult Rinoa first.

"You can come out now," he called, remembering the two men that were hidden between the boat supplies and the wall. Tifa had stayed behind to rest since she still wasn't feeling well and Sarah was playing doctor. Vincent and Cloud emerged from their hiding places and came over to Squall with worried expressions.

"Do you believe this to be a trap?" Vincent inquired.

"Maybe," Squall nodded, "I still need to talk to Rinoa anyway about her feelings on the situation."

Cloud frowned suspiciously. "I think he's lying."

"Who knows?" Squall sighed, "let's just get back into town and enjoy the rest of our night."

"I must decline," Vincent smiled, brushing hair from his eyes, "I need to go cuddle my wife and hold her hair back while she's sick."

Squall smiled as well, placing a hand on Vincent's shoulder, "sounds like fun. Any chance you'd send _my_ wife back here for me?"

"Certainly. I'll tell her you want to enjoy the concert together."

"Thank you," Squall nodded gratefully, "how 'bout you Cloud?"

"I'm going to look for Aeris and when I find her, I'm going to kiss her 'til she's blue and drag her home with me."

Squall saluted. "Good luck, soldier."

Vincent said a quiet goodbye and him and Cloud went off in separate directions, leaving Squall to himself. He put his sword back in the sheath and shook off the gnawing feeling of worry in his stomach. "Now to find this concert."

:-

Aeris laughed as she was dipped down, head almost touching the ground, and swept back up into Sephiroth's arms. She wasn't sure if any of the drinks she'd had with dinner were alcoholic, but she felt light-headed and her mind was swimming in the most delicious way. Sephiroth had loosened up a bit as well, even allowing a few other men to have dances with her. She giggled again at the memory of the poor terrified man who had tried to slow dance with her. All of her slow dances were reserved for her sexy silver-haired general.

Sephiroth twirled her again and caught her arms when she staggered slightly. "Aeris, maybe we should sit down for a little bit," he offered, "I think you're getting tired."

"No," she frowned, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I like this song."

He smiled down at her indignant expression. "Okay, okay. I was just asking." He slid his arms around her waist and leaned his forehead against hers. "Maybe if I keep wishing, then the music will go on forever," he whispered, sighing quietly.

"Maybe it could go on. If we-"

"Aeris?" a surprised voice spoke, "what are you doing here?" Their heads jerked up and Sephiroth relaxed when he saw it was only Squall.

"I'm just dancing," she replied defensively, letting go of Sephiroth.

"Scuse us for a moment," Squall said to Sephiroth, leading Aeris off to the sidelines. "You don't understand," he spoke quietly to her, "Cloud has been panicking and looking for you all day. You didn't even tell the poor guy where you were going."

"I figured he'd be too busy to notice anyway," she said with a hint of malice in her voice.

Smiling at the annoyed woman, Squall touched her shoulder in understanding. "I know he's been busy, but that's why he came, remember? To help me out. We should be done soon, after a few unexpected _surprises_ are dealt with. Just…….go easy on him, okay?"

"I'll apologize when I see him," Aeris promised, "but I not really in the mood for dancing now. Excuse me." She brushed past Squall and headed back to Garden on her own. The last thing she needed was for Squall to make her feel guilty. Cloud was the one who should feel bad, not her.

Sephiroth watched Aeris hurry away and frowned over at Squall. What had he said that upset her so much? "Aeris?" he called, running after her, "Aeris, wait!"

Squall was confused as to why Aeris would be so upset with Cloud and spend the day with Sephiroth, but he figured Cloud would sort things out. Once him and Aeris talked everything would go back to normal. He had too much on his plate to get very involved at the moment.

"Aeris, wait for a minute," Sephiroth ordered, stopping her.

"I want to go to bed now Sephiroth," she said quietly, pulling out of his grasp, "I'll talk to you tomorrow." She hesitated, and then turned around and kissed his cheek gently. "Goodnight."

He stared in bewilderment as she left him standing there, and went back into Garden.

Strife. That had to be it.

He could hardly wait to kill that stupid asswipe and get his plans back on track. World domination could only wait for so long. Tomorrow, he would plan and cause the death of Cloud Strife.

**THISISTHESTUPIDLINESEPARATINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTES**

Author: Duh duh duh! Now Sephy's gonna open a can of whoop-ass! Yay :huggles Sephiroth: You kill that Cloud, you good evil person you!

Sephiroth; :smiles proudly and sharpens his sword: With pleasure. I just have to finish off that Mr. Flames guy. The little runt escaped again. You wouldn't believe the tiny holes he can fit through when someone's about to run him through with a sword.

Author: Now Seraph, you need to play nice with the other kids or I'm going to have to punish you again.

Sephiroth; :eyes widen: No dessert for a month?

Author; :nods:

Sephiroth; :pouts and puts his sword away: Fine. I won't kill anyone except for Cloud.

Author; :pats his head and gives him a Cloud cookie: Good boy. :turns to readers: Well, I hope that chapter was worth the long wait. Lots of exciting things happened in this chapter. Seifer's back! Kisses! Cloud's gonna die! ICE CREAM! (Well maybe not ice cream, but I can dream can't I?)

Sephiroth: You're crazy.

Author: Crazy like a fox :smiles when he just stares at her: Never mind. Anywho, give me comments, critique, praise and suggestions for where you'd like this fic to go in the future. (If it even has a future :P) Thank you everyone for your lovely reviews and all the wonderful things you said that inflated my ego. Keep 'em coming and I'll be sure to keep writing more :huggles and love and chocolate and balloons for all: See you next chapter. :D


	8. Ch8: Let the stabbing commence!

Author: Man oh man, I just can't keep with these stories. I gotta quit work and school and start working on the things that matter…. :P

Sephiroth: Like me!

Author: Or the stories? Perhaps?

Sephiroth: OR ME! Ow:rubs spot on head where Author whacked him:

Author: Well I usually have a lot more interesting stuff in my authors notes, but sadly since I'm running on a schedule I have to do the review replies and then start!

Readers: Yay! No more boring random crap!

Author; :pouts: Well fine then. I'll just stop updating……heh heh. Like I ever could.

Ezri-Candy – Wow, I'm impressed. It must be hard to have to deal with all those damn computer fixing people. BEST BUY MUST BURN! BURN I SAY! I feel so bad for you that you lost everything on your compie. I would die! At least you were able to install the new harddrive yourself and not be charged some lame ass price for the half ass job they'd do. :huggles her new computer: Thank you for the lovely long review and for all the compliments! Through your eyes I feel as though I do no wrong! That's not true but I still feel that way :P Vincent is the cutest man alive and only me and you know it sista! (And of course all the fan girls, but they don't count) lol. Anyway, thank you for the fantabulous review and enjoy the chapter!

Mr. Flames – Well my flamey friend, congrats on your first "drunkedness" lol. You really are a bad boy. Sephiroth will get you one way or another! And you are mistaken. When Cloud finds out bad things, he doesn't blame himself, he blames Sephiroth! Lol. Interesting outcomes….I must say…… Go read the chappie now or I shall slay you!

Karaoke Risa – Cloud deserves every bit of torture he receives! He's such an annoying jerk. Lol. I really dislike him. You love me! You REALLY love me:cries happily: As for Sephiroth having ulterior motives….well….can you blame him? Thanks for the review!

shadow lurker – I can't promise Cloud's death, but here's your update:P

Sephiroth: On with the fic! I need to kiss my sexy woman.

Author; :blushes: You're so sweet.

Sephiroth; :grabs Aeris and kisses her:

Author; :sweatdrops:

**THISISTHESTUPIDLINESEPARATINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTES**

Squall sighed heavily as he gazed at Rinoa's turned back. She was still angry with him for going to confront Seifer without her. "Rinoa…..," he frowned, touching her shoulder, "you have to understand that what I did was for the best. I don't want him getting another chance to hurt you. I love you too much." She turned her tear-filled gaze towards him and lifted her hand to his cheek.

"I know you want to protect me, Squall. But I'm a big girl and I can make my own decisions. You can't just leave without telling me if you don't want to take me somewhere. Our marriage has to be based on trust and love. How can I trust you if you don't tell me things when you think it will hurt me?"

Squall knew she was right, but still felt wary about the whole Seifer thing. "Seifer asked me if I would do something for him."

"What?" Rinoa asked quickly.

"He wants to…….well he needs a place to stay….and….you see….," he sighed again and leaned into Rinoa's gentle touch. "Seifer asked if Rajin, Fujin, and him could stay in Garden for awhile….." Her eyes widened and her hand dropped from his face.

"He what?"

"Seifer wants to live here for a while. I told him I had to think about it."

"What's to think about!" Rinoa exclaimed, "he tried to kill us and he works for Adel! Would you really put the students at that kind of risk?"

"I don't know," Squall protested, "I wanted to talk to you about it first."

"Well, my answer is no." He watched her determined expression grow sad and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Think about it for a while, honey. Don't make rash decisions."

"Let's not talk about this anymore," Rinoa pleaded, burying her face in his chest. Squall gently stroked her hair and wondered what he should say to Seifer. He wanted so badly to forgive him….

:-:

Sephiroth spun the delicate hairpiece slowly in his fingertips, thinking about the confusing flower girl he was rapidly falling for. He didn't understand how she could be so coy and seductive one minute and suddenly become so quiet and unsure of herself the next. It was like she pretended Cloud didn't exist when she was with him and then began feeling guilty as she remembered who she _should_ be spending time with.

With a sigh, he dropped his arm to the bed and rolled onto his side. There was a terrible aching feeling in his gut that wouldn't go away no matter what he tried. The thought of Aeris being with someone else was unbearable and he'd considered more then once simply killing Cloud so she'd be with him guilt-free. Aeris was too kind and loving to hurt Cloud purposely and most likely wouldn't divorce him. He didn't even know if she felt that strongly about him in the first place. Would it really be worth it to kill Cloud and then discover that Aeris didn't love him anyway?

Running a finger thoughtfully down the blade of his sword, he imagined all the wonderfully gory ways he could rid himself of Cloud. "Love," he scoffed aloud, "who needs it." Silvery hair spilled over his shoulders as he sat up and shook his head. This was just another obstacle. He could overcome it just as he had with the rest.

Throwing the hairpiece into the garbage angrily, he crossed his arms over his chest and willed himself to hate her. He grew more anxious as the seconds passed and finally whipped back around, snatching the hair clip up again and growling in frustration. This was going to be harder then he thought.

:-:

Pale hair enveloped Aeris as Sephiroth leaned over her, smiling warmly down at her before claiming her lips. She returned his kisses forcefully and gasped as he ran his hands up her sides, dragging his nails along her skin. Fire raged through her senses as he explored her soft skin with his tongue. She didn't know when he had arrived in her room, but she didn't mind in the least. His fierce kisses left bruises down her neck and she ran her fingers through his hair, tilting her own head back with pleasure.

"Aeris?"

"Mmmm?" she murmured, closing her eyes.

"Aeris," a voice interrupted them.

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up in bed, still in a dreamlike state. "Cloud?" she asked groggily. What was Cloud doing here! Did he just see what she had been doing!

"It's me, sweetheart. You looked like you were having a nightmare. I had to wake you up."

She shook her head a little and rubbed her eyes with a yawn. "Nightmare?"

"Are you still sleeping?" he teased, brushing her wild bangs out of her face, "you're certainly lazy today."

"Ugh," she groaned, falling back against the pillows. "It's too bright out here." _It was only a dream_, she realized thankfully. Sephiroth wasn't really in their room. Relief washed over her and she sighed deeply.

"So, where were you yesterday?" Cloud asked casually, lying on his side next to her.

"Exploring," she answered cryptically.

He raised an eyebrow at her strange expression. "So you did go into town. You could've waited for me instead of getting up at the crack of dawn to go alone."

"I wasn't alone," she mumbled into the pillow, already falling back asleep.

Cloud frowned and shook her shoulder gently. "Pardon me?"

"I wasn't alone," she repeated, snuggling into his warmth tiredly.

"Who went with you?" he asked carefully, trying his best not to get frustrated with her. Aeris remained silent, but he could tell from her tense body that she was still awake. "Aeris? Who went with you?" She hid her face from him until he pulled her into a sitting position, looking her hard in the face and speaking in a dangerous tone. "Who went with you?" She winced under his tight grip and licked her lips nervously.

"Sephiroth."

"What! What the hell were you doing with him?"

"Nothing. We were just looking around town."

"Then why were you so reluctant to tell me?" Cloud demanded, "and why do you look so guilty? What have you done? Are you cheating on me with that bastard?"

"Cloud!" Aeris gasped, shocked he would even say that.

"Don't lie to me, Aeris," Cloud growled, "I've had enough of that. Tell me why you were gone for the whole day without telling anyone. I was scared, you know, I looked everywhere for you."

"I'm sorry….," Aeris whimpered.

"Sorry?" he scoffed, "SORRY! What the hell were you doing? Having a fucking affair! I can't believe it! First Tifa, now you!"

"Cloud, you're scaring me…..I didn't-" Her words were cut off as Cloud backhanded her across the face. She cried out in pain and surprise and fell to the floor, shaking all over.

"Don't you _dare_ try to make what you did better," he snarled, grabbing his buster sword from its resting place against the wall, "I'm going to have a word with Sephiroth and when I come back you better not have moved from that spot! You understand me!"

She nodded weakly, holding her cheek and trying not to cry. "I'm sorry," she whispered as Cloud stormed out of the room. "I'm sorry." She broke down in tears and wept helplessly into her hands. She needed to get help before Cloud did something really stupid.

-:-

Cloud felt an icy rage creeping through him and tightened his grip on the sword in his hand. He would stop that man from stealing his wife if it was the last thing he did. Sephiroth was better off dead as far as he was concerned. A twinge of guilt ate at his conscience as he remembered Aeris' frightened expression. _I shouldn't have hit her_, he groaned inwardly.

'_No!'_ a voice drifted through his mind, '_she deserved it. You've put up with her disobedience for long enough. In fact, you went easy on her. Don't let her get away with treating you like this. Make her suffer. Make everyone suffer. She doesn't love you anyway. She's loves _him.'

Cloud nodded silently. He'd teach her what happens when you disobey your loving husband. She was his property. How dare she! His pace quickened and he came to a stop outside the infirmary, seething mad.

'_Kill him. And then the girl. We have bigger things to take care of_,' the voice spoke, caressing his mind gently. '_I won't let anyone look down on you ever again. You could rule this earth.'_

"I could rule over them," he whispered aloud, with a grin, "I'd be above everyone. Like a God."

'_Yesss_,' the voice hissed, '_a God.'_

"But kill Aeris?" he faltered, lowering his sword with a frown. "I……love Aeris."

'_She mocks you with her new lover. They laugh behind your back and plot ways to get rid of you. You're nothing to her.'_

"I'll kill _him_," Cloud breathed excitedly, "and then my disobedient wife."

'_Go then. Do it before the girl realizes something's wrong.'_

Cloudnoddedagain and readied his sword, eager for the sight of the blood.

:-:

When her tears finally stopped, Aeris climbed to her feet shakily and had to sit on the bed to regain her balance. She didn't now how wise it would be to stay here and wait for Cloud to get back when he was so upset. He had a tendency to do violent things when he was mad. A soft wave of peace from the planet washed over her and soothed her throbbing cheek. It helped her calm down a bit and she realized she couldn't just sit here while Cloud ran off to kill Sephiroth. She had to warn him.

Pulling on her boots and grabbing a ribbon to tie her hair later, she ran out the door and over to Sephiroth's room. "Sephiroth?" she called, knocking on the door, "Sephiroth, are you in there?"

Sephiroth's head jerked up at the sound of knocking. Who would be coming to visit him this early in the morning? Aeris' voice drifted to him and he groaned. He had to do this. He had to break it to her gently that he couldn't and _wouldn't_ love her because he had other plans to take care of that he just couldn't ignore. Her voice came again, this time more urgent and he walked to the door, steeling himself to do what he had to do.

His resolve melted when he opened the door to Aeris' wild, frightened face and she shoved him in, closing the door behind them. "Sephiroth, you have to get away from here" she begged, "Cloud is out on a murderous rampage and when he finds you……please…..I want you to run."

"Hold on a second," he frowned, "why is Cloud coming to kill me?"

She hung her head in shame and her hair covered her face like a tent. "He thinks I'm having an affair with you."

Sephiroth chuckled softly, but stopped when he saw tears fall from behind Aeris' shield of hair. "Aeris? What's wrong? Look at me." She slowly lifted her head and he stepped closer, inspecting the side of her face. "Did he do this? Did he hit you!"

"I-It doesn't matter," she stammered quickly, "I don't want you to die. I……I just……I need you….."

"It does matter!" he said angrily, "because if he hurt you I'm going to make sure he suffers a slow and painful death."

"I'll be fine," she argued, covering her bruised face with a hand. "I'll deal with it."

"No," he shook his head, "no. I won't allow it." He led her to the bed and sat her down, kissing her cheek. "You wait here. I'll fix this for you." Pulling on his long jacket, Sephiroth ignored Aeris' weak protests and left to find Cloud.

:-:

Cloud tore apart the room, furious to find that Sephiroth was no where to be found. "That coward! He knew I was coming, somehow, he knew!" He smashed a desk into the wall and slashed at the papers that rained down through the air. "Where are you, Sephiroth!"

"Looking for me?" a calm voice in the doorway spoke. Cloud whipped around and an evil smirk settled on his face at the sight of Sephiroth.

"I was. How kind of you to make my job that much easier."

Sephiroth studied Cloud with a frown. Something was different about him. His eyes were wild and angry and had a certain…..subconscious evil to them. "Cloud?" he spoke slowly, "have you been hearing any voices lately?"

"What the hell are talking about?" he growled, stepping towards the platinum haired man.

"She's in your head," Sephiroth whispered in shock, "she can get to you too. Don't you see? Because you have Jenova cells in you, she can use you. Just like she did to me."

"Shut up! You stupid bastard. Thinking you can just waltz into our life and take over everything without any consequence. You must be punished, along with my sinful wife!"

"Listen to yourself, Cloud," he urged, "you love Aeris. Why on earth would you ever want to hurt her? She's willing to stay with you and love you and you repay her by hitting and abusing her. You don't deserve any wife with the way you're behaving!"

Cloud lunged forward with a cry and sank his sword into Sephiroth's stomach, watching with an evil smile as he staggered back, his mouth opening and closing as he gasped in pain. Cloud pulled the sword back out with a yank and lifted it above his head the finish his enemy off. A sharp pain coursed through the back of his skull and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Sephiroth, hang in there buddy," Squall said, kneeling down next to him and pressing his jacket to the open wound. Blood gushed out of the injury and ran down Squall's arms in a red stream. "HELP!" he yelled as loud as he could. "SOMEONE HELP!"

A passing student stared in shock at the three men and looked to Squall for instructions. "Go find the doctor and gather a few of the stronger SeeDs that can guard the attacker. Hurry!" The boy ran off quickly and Squall slid the jacket arms under Sephiroth, tying it tight around him.

"Can you hear me?" he spoke into the man's ear. "Sephiroth?"

He groaned softly and made a choking noise, worrying Squall more than the bleeding. He pried open Sephiroth's mouth and slid his hand inside, pulling his tongue from the back of his throat. Shifting so he was siting behind Sephiroth's back, Squall propped him up a little so he wouldn't start choking again. "Hang on. Help will be here soon."

"Ais….," he spoke in garbled English.

"What's that?"

"Ares," he tried again, his eyes rolling upwards.

"Aeris?" Squall said, a little confused, "Don't talk, okay? You just need to relax and stay awake."

Dr. Kadowski came running in, followed by a small group of level twenty SeeDs, all armed. "How is he?" she asked, kneeling down and touching a hand to Sephiroth's forehead.

"Barely hanging on. Is there anything you can do?" he asked hopefully.

"Get him up on this bed," she instructed, frowning at Cloud's unconscious body. "And what's wrong with this one?"

"I don't know really know. I had to knock him out to stop him from finishing off Sephiroth. He just went berserk all of a sudden."

"We'll watch him, Sir," one of the young men offered, "don't worry about him." The SeeDs moved Cloud's sword away from him and stood around him to wait for him to revive.

A loud shriek came from the doorway and all heads turned to see Aeris' pale face frozen with shock. "W-What happened?" she gasped, running to Sephiroth's side.

"Aeris, I don't think you should see this," Squall said, placing a hand on her arm, "I'm not sure if he's going to make it."

"No…..," she trailed off tearfully. "I won't let him die! I can't!" Squall found it slightly odd that she was so concerned about Sephiroth's well being when Cloud was still in plain sight on the floor. "Please, Squall. You have to save him. He was trying to protect me……..he has to be all right……"

"Protect you?" Squall asked with a raised eyebrow. Aeris blushed ashamedly and looked at the floor.

"It's nothing."

He noticed the side of her face that was turned away from him was swollen and purple, looking very painful. "What happened to your face?" he asked softly, leaning in to inspect her.

"He……….he had every right to…..," she said in a quivering voice. "I made him angry……he couldn't help it."

"Cloud did this?" Squall asked in disbelief, "and Sephiroth tried to defend you?" She nodded and glanced down at the bleeding man fearfully.

"That's why I need you to save him. It will be all my fault if he dies."

Cloud stirred quietly, opening his eyes with a painful groan. "W-What the hell happened?" he demanded, sitting up slowly and rubbing the back of his head with a wince. The SeeDs kept their weapons trained on him as Cloud staggered to his feet, eyes widening at the blood everywhere. "Who………who got…." He couldn't finish his question as his stomach heaved and he fell to his knees, vomiting all over the floor.

Aeris left Sephiroth's side to go to Cloud. She paused hesitantly at the edge of the group of SeeDs before going to Cloud's side and kneeling down with him. "Are you……feeling better?" she asked carefully when he finished throwing up and leaned on her exhaustedly.

"What have I done, Aeris?" he whispered, gazing up at her swollen cheek fearfully, "what did I do?"

"Shhh," she spoke soothingly, stroking his hair gently, "don't think, Cloud. Please….don't think."

The blonde's eyes closed as Aeris and a few SeeDs helped him to his feet and he leaned heavily on his wife, a wave of nausea hitting him hard. "Come on, Cloud," Aeris encouraged, "we'll get you back to the room and you can lay down for a while." He nodded weakly and Squall watched him carefully, wondering what could ever come over his friend that would make him strike Aeris.

"Please take care of him," Aeris pleaded over her shoulder, "I'll be back to help in a little while."

"Don't worry," Squall nodded, "he's in good hands." Aeris and Cloud slowly made their way out of the room, worried SeeDs watching the two leave.

"Will she be all right on her own, Sir?" a young man asked him, fingering his weapon tensely.

"They're fine," he assured the student, relieved to see Cloud back to normal, "now if you guys could help me out, we need to get Sephiroth into a proper bed before his situation goes from bad to worse."

A few of them gently lifted the unconscious man and followed Dr. Kadowski into an empty room, placing Sephiroth down on the small bed. "I'll need to find some more supplies," the doctor noted, frowning around at her destroyed front office, "can you find me some gauze and medical tape, Squall? And perhaps a different outfit for the patient since this one is a little blood-soaked."

Squall saluted and sheathed his weapon hurriedly. "I'm on it."

A sigh escaped the doctor's lips as she leaned over and inspected the damage to the silver haired man. "What are we going to do with you?" she frowned, "just finished healing and you land yourself back in here…." She turned away from him and began preparing a salve to spread on the wounds.

"Got the stuff," Squall called, running back into the room, out of breath, "here." He piled the supplies on the table beside her and frowned worriedly at Sephiroth. "He gonna make it…..right?"

"I sure hope so," she answered truthfully, "life has been more pleasant with him around. Even the students seem to have grown attached to him."

"He's a good guy," Squall smiled, watching the doctor remove Sephiroth's shirt and dip a clean piece of gauze into the salve next to him.

_If only they knew_, Sephiroth sighed inwardly, only half conscious and half-aware of the conversation happening around him. An immense pain throbbed through his middle, warmth flowing down his front. _Blood_, he realized, _my blood._ _Oh god. Am I_……_dying?_

-:-

Aeris sighed and leaned back against the bed frame, absently stroking Cloud's hair as he slept. A million thoughts were reeling through her mind, but not one logical thing could come out of them. Did Cloud really not remember what he had done to her?

To Sephiroth…?

Was it possible to savagely stab someone through the stomach and then just…forget? Cloud stirred slightly under her gentle touch and she let her eyes drift over him, ashamed that she had given him any reason not to trust her. Kissing the top of his head, she slid down beside him and leaned on his chest. The beating of his heart filled her mind and she closed her eyes, feeling the rise and fall of his body as he breathed.

"Aeris," he mumbled groggily.

"What is it, sweety?" she whispered, trailing her hand across his stomach.

"I'm sorry….."

The silence that filled the room was thick and uneasy with worry. Aeris couldn't bare the pain in his eyes much longer.

"Cloud…," Aeris whimpered, tightening her grip on him. Tears ran down from under her closed eyelids and Cloud's arms closed around her in an understanding hug.

"Whatever happened with him….," Cloud spoke softly, "I don't care. I love you. I love you so much!" She was shocked to feel a wetness on her skin and Cloud's shoulders shaking. Cloud……crying?

Aeris felt helpless. Afraid of how much she might have hurt Cloud. "I swear I only kissed him," she blurted out frantically, "….and I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. Cloud please, stop crying. I….I love you."

Cloud took a shuddery breath and took a minute to compose himself before pulling them up into a sitting position and wiped at his eyes. "Do…..do you want to be with him?"

His pained voice broke her heart and she gazed into his eyes, seeing for the first time, a scared expression in their depths. A small smile crept onto her lips. "I want you Cloud. Forever, until death. I want _you_." Leaning towards him, Cloud stopped her and frowned carefully.

"What came between us, Aeris? We've been drifting apart for some time now. What happened?"

"I don't know," she admitted, running a hand down his cheek, "but I want to fix it."

"I want us to be like we were five years ago," Cloud smiled, "when I enjoyed every spare second of my day with you and loved it. When I was so proud every time someone saw me with you. When I never once thought of what could have been with other women from my past…… I want that fluttery feeling in my stomach every time I'm near you…"

"Oh, Cloud," Aeris sighed tearfully, "how could we ever doubt each other like this?" Wrapping her arms around Cloud's neck in a fierce hug, Aeris held him as though he might disappear if she ever let go. His lips grazed her cheek and she bit her lip, hating herself for allowing Sephiroth so deeply into her heart. As Cloud's hands gently stroked her back, a feeling coursed through her that she hadn't felt for him in some time.

Love.

This was why she had married Cloud. She loved him more deeply then she even knew was possible. Even when she ignored it, it was embedded so deeply in her being that it survived, somehow; she had never truly given up on him.

"Don't ever let me lose you," Cloud murmured, pulling her closer still.

"That's a promise," she whispered, closing her eyes comfortably. It wasn't long until the two were fast asleep in each other's arms, exhausted from the day's events.

-:-

"He has a better chance of recovery," Dr. Kadowski reassured Squall, "but I've done all I'm able to and I still can't guarantee that he'll live."

"Well, he's always been good at escaping death," Squall nodded worriedly, "hopefully that luck will last."

"I know what you mean," she sighed, "luckily Cloud made a clean cut through his stomach though or the blade might have punctured a vital organ on the way back out."

"I'll have to have a talk with Cloud about this later. Even if he wasn't himself, he can't just attack a person and walk off scot-free. And if Sephiroth dies….."

Dr. Kadowski shook her head and guided Squall out to the hallway. "Don't say things like that around the patient, all right? He may still be able to hear us."

"But he does have a right to know," Squall protested.

'I do have a right to know….' Sephiroth thought, drifting and floating along the waves of pain. His whole body felt very cold, but at the same time as though it was burning. Waves of pain rolled over him every few second and he could feel his body fighting to heal itself. He hoped it wasn't a losing battle. What had happened to Aeris? Was she safe? He desperately wanted to ask Squall if she was okay, but he wasn't able to speak. Just listen.

He lay on the bed for what seemed like hours, getting checked on and re-bandaged every once in a while. His whole body tensed when he saw Aeris come into the room. He wanted to jump out of bed and wrap his arms around her. Cursed weak, damaged body! Another wave of pain washed over him, this time mixed with relief, as Aeris stood at his side and took one of his hands in hers.

"How are you holding up?" she whispered, softly running her fingers over his hand, "they told me you might not make it, but I won't accept that. You're strong right? You'll fight your way back to this world. To see me. I want you to live. For me. Please Sephiroth…." She fell to her knees, crying helplessly on the bed next to him. Every bit of strength and muscle in his body fought to inch an arm around her, but all he managed was to twitch his hand in hers slightly.

Her head came up and she studied him with a tearstained face. "You can hear me can't you?" She slid onto the bed, sitting by his torso, and stroked a hand very gently down his cheek. "If you die on me I don't know what I'll do," Aeris whispered, kissing his forehead. Sephiroth felt like this was heaven and she was an angel. Did he deserve such devotion after all the terrible things he'd done in his life? Probably not, but he still loved this angel more then any being on the planet.

"You have to give up on me," she said suddenly, looking ashamed. He blinked quickly, not understanding what she meant. Aeris saw the frantic blinking and squeezed his hand lightly. "Cloud has taken me back and I don't want to destroy him again by being with you. I did marry him and I have to uphold that oath. As much as I loved you, this has to stop…"

Sephiroth winced at the past tense. 'Loved'. Not love…. If he could've cried, he would. Was she really telling him he could never hold her again? Never kiss her? Love her? She knew he couldn't go on, couldn't face the world, if she wasn't at his side…. Something in him died right then at the loss of her and his body went still, the fight for life ceasing for the moment. The bells on his monitor went wild as his heart rate flat-lined.

"DOCTOR!" Aeris screamed, running into the main office. Workers and Dr. Kadowski were already running into the room, one of them with a machine to help start his heart again. She stood staring as the worked desperately to bring him back, without success. '_What have I done!_' she thought desperately, '_I've killed him! Oh god, I killed him! How can I stay faithful to two men at the same time? They both seem to need me like their lives depend on it. I'm only one frail woman! I can't do this…._'

"Aeris! Talk to him!" Dr. Kadowski pleaded as she pounded on the silver-haired man's broad chest. "He'll come back if he has something to live for. I don't know why his resolve gave out like that…"

Aeris came back into the room, tears running down her face. "Sephiroth," she whispered in his ear, "you know what's in my heart. You know I can never stop loving you. It's just someone has to prevent Cloud from becoming murderous again. He needs help and I fear I'm the only one who can give it. I don't think I could ever stop loving you…." She broke down crying again when suddenly a faint beep silenced all the panicked workers in the room. Beep…..beep…..beep….. The heart monitor showed a heartbeat. It was faint and weak, but it was there. Sephiroth's chest began to rise and fall again with his ragged breathing. "Thank god!" Aeris cried, wrapping her arms around his neck. What _was_ she going to do with two men who loved her? It seemed her life had just gotten complicated again.

Sephiroth shuddered slightly, showing no other signs of life except his breathing. She cried silently against his chest, whispering tearfully as she gripped him tighter. "God help us all."

**THISISTHESTUPIDLINESEPARATINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTES**

Author: That's all for now folks! Off I run to typeth some more!

Random cute fuzzy creature; :blinks big glossy eyes cutely: And please review!


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